


Of Serpents and Quaffles

by Childisher



Category: I.O.I (Band), Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-07 18:49:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11064975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Childisher/pseuds/Childisher
Summary: Presenting to you, the Hogwarts AU I've always wanted to write but have never actually gotten my ass down to doing so.Revolves around I.O.I/Produce 101 members, Sejeong and Chungha centric for now.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out a lot heavier than I had envisioned for the story, but it's all to set up Sejeong's character. I promise it isn't going to be a heavy series all the time (on the contrary, heavy stuff tires me out too easily).  
> It's a chapter with Sejeong's backstory so it only involves her out of the 11 girls, but I assure they'll appearing bit by bit in the coming chapters!

Sejeong has never known her father.

Like any other normal child, she can hardly even get a grasp on her earliest memories. All she knows is that for every moment that she recalls, it has always only been her and her mother. She remembers the only moment where she had ever approached the topic, curious like any other 4 year old. She also remembers the intense flicker of something across her mother’s face, followed by a quick dismissal of the issue.

If there’s one thing Sejeong hates the most, it’s hurting her mother.

So she locks the curiosity deep within her and wears the tiny key around her heart.

Sejeong doesn’t have a father.

\---

She was 7 when she first discovered what magic was.

It hadn’t been intentional; it never was. They - a ragtag bunch of 8 scruffy children, including her - had been up to their usual 7 year old business: climbing trees and wrestling. On the top of the tree. Needless to say, it hadn’t been long before one of them (unfortunately, her) had exerted too much strength and her wrestling partner (even more unfortunately, a boy who had close to zero reflexes) had been sent tumbling an entire 4 metres down.

Sejeong only recalls reaching out for him on reflex in her panicked state, but to no avail. Horror had marred her face, matching every other child present, as they had unwillingly spectated his plunge.

The collision had never happened.

No traumatising thud, no bones broken, no catastrophical consequences.

The audience of 7 up in the trees had gaped at the sight of the boy hovering a few inches above the ground - pale, completely shaken, but physically fine.

The lingering tingles in her hand were kept a secret from the others as they unanimously chalked the incident up to fairy godmothers keeping an eye on them.

\---

Sejeong finds out that she’s different - even after taking into account of her magic - when she turns 9.

Throughout the past 2 years, she had naturally kept her magic a secret from everyone else, bar her mother. It hadn’t been that hard; she only needed to learn to control her emotions, which she had always excelled in anyway prior to her discovery of magic. The few occurrences that had inevitably happened had always been a pleasure to share with her mother, though: how she had caused a bully’s limbs to turn all wobbly so he couldn’t hurt the poor girl cowering in the corner, the sparkling golden ball that flitted around in the distance before she had eventually lost sight of it, and even a glimpse of what she could swear had been a man transforming into a hawk. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Except that one time.

She hadn’t even expected it to turn into something - it was a little strange that a toad had occasionally been sitting on one of their chickens’ eggs for a couple of days, but Sejeong had never been one to judge other beings’ choices. And then one fine day, she had entered their chicken coop to discover 4 new chicks and a snake. A snake with brilliant emerald skin, but whose eyes had been clawed out by the hens around.

A snake who had been calling out for help.

She had immediately rescued the poor thing - cowering in a corner - by having picked it up with her bare hands and shooing the hens away. She still doesn’t know how the chickens had managed to look somewhat disgruntled by her action, and the silent “really?” had hung in the air.

Having had an injured baby snake in her hands (who she had to keep cooing comforting words to due to its pained whimpers) and no clue on how to nurse it back to health, Sejeong had chosen the only wise path of action: take the snake to her mother and ask for help.

Yes, she had been surprised to see the snake too, but surely her mother screaming as if she had just witnessed a murder scene wasn’t warranted.

“Sejeong, get away from that beast!”

She frowns as the snake tenses up in her hands; she can feel the fear in it stemming from the noise around them.

“Mama, you’re scaring it. It’s only a baby.”

“That doesn’t make its fangs any less venomous! Sejeong, please, put it down and come here!”

The sheer desperation piercing her mother’s voice convinces her that the snake in her hands might really be of a dangerous breed, but the way it shrinks back and starts whimpering tramples any idea that it poses a danger to them.

“It won’t attack us; it’s just really scared right now,” she tries to assure. “You won’t do anything of that sort, right little one?”

Upon the question directed at it, the snake relaxes a little and coils itself around her arm, humming nervously in agreement. Sejeong looks up to examine her mother’s face. She hadn’t thought it possible for her mother to look even more horrified and dumbfounded than before, but her mother has always been full of surprises. She frowns, not liking her mother being anything but happy.

After a few moments of stunned silence - in which Sejeong spends stroking and cooing to the baby while gingerly watching for her mother’s reaction - her mother finally regains her ability of speech.

“Did you ju--”

A flash of blue collides against the snake and her hand turns numb along with it. Faster than her brain can register, scarlet sparks strike her right hand once more and the baby hurls toward the ground, landing absolutely unceremoniously. Sejeong instinctively moves towards it, only to be hindered by a presence in front of her.

“Im, tend to the child in another room. Ms Lee and I need to have words,” the stranger’s gruff voice didn’t mar the clarity of his order.

A beautiful lady whose aura exudes kindness places a hand on her shoulder, signalling for her to start walking to another room. She doesn’t.

“It’s just a baby, please, don’t hurt it any further,” she turns around and pleads at the stern man, glaring down at her mother - she dislikes him already for posing a threat to her two precious beings.

He doesn’t even bat an eye towards her, and Sejeong has never known she was capable of feeling negative emotions with such intensity.

“Sejeong, follow the pretty big sister; she’ll keep you safe,” her mother orders, voice albeit wavering.

She feels utterly useless, wanting so desperately to tend to her newfound friend and stand up for her mother, who’s looking incredibly small under the man’s scathing glare, but she knows how powerless she is. A 9 year old with minimal tricks up her sleeve can’t do anything against a grown man with his arsenal of magic. A reassuring smile is directed towards her, and so she walks with the lady to her room, door closed immediately once they entered.

“I’m just going to check on your hand. Does it still feel numb?”

Sejeong tries to wiggle her fingers, but to no avail. She nods. The lady takes out a very polished stick and something within Sejeong panics.

“Relax, I’m just going to use a healing spell,” the lady comforts her with a smile and she nods apprehensively.

A muttered word later and her hand starts to feel again. Sejeong would have been surprised if she hadn’t already expected some sort of healing magic. She smiles gratefully at the kindly person in front of her, and is about to verbalise her thanks when a piercing screech rips through the air. Immediately, she’s on her feet.

“What was that?” The tremble in her voice providing insight to the full magnitude of her worry.

“What was what? I didn’t hear anything,” and the lady looks truly confused, Sejeong notes.

It didn’t stop her from charging towards the door.

She probably should have expected to be stopped immediately, of course. And true enough, the lady grabs her, struggling to prevent the equally struggling her from exiting the room.

Just as she escapes from the lady’s vice grip, she blacks out.

-

Apart from her forcefully induced sleep, Sejeong’s nights were filled with unrest and nightmares. The pained scream looped in her mind, unrelenting. Each play stabbed at her heart, somehow finding fresh areas to hurt each time despite it having already been punctured everywhere.

When she had awoken that day, there had been no trace of abnormalities. No beautiful lady keeping her away from the living room, no distasteful man belittling her loved ones, and no precious snake of hers that desperately needed her care.

Her mother had hugged her shell-shocked self and true to her nature at that time, she could not even muster up a response. She had registered all the words, though; her mother had explained how the snake she had unwittingly bred had been a Basilisk, how it could have killed everyone with brief moment of eye contact had its eyes not been gouged out by the chickens, how even then it could have bitten them and injected its lethal venom into their bodies, and how the people from the Ministry of Magic had come to deal with it. She had remained still as her mother had apologised, hadn’t moved when her mother had placed something in her hand, had no reaction when her mother had informed her that that was her Basilisk’s horn, a memento her mother had sneaked for her.

It had been the look on her mother’s face as she pleaded for Sejeong to never mention her ability to talk to the Basilisk that had woken her from her stupor. The sickening brew of unadulterated fear, hallowing dread and searing guilt in her mother’s eyes, complemented with her ashen face, had made Sejeong’s gut wrench. She had nodded, returning her mother’s embrace weakly, barely forcing out a whispered “I’ll be okay”.

She will be okay.

Sejeong buries the incident and her emotions deep within the crevices of her punctured heart, kept intact with amateur sutures. She throws the shovel away and locks the gate, wearing the miniscule key along with the promise around her heart.

Her Basilisk’s horn hangs around her neck, weighing down on the delicate skin each day as she continues to smile, convincing everyone including herself.

\---

Sejeong loses her ability to form attachments the night before leaving for Hogwarts.

She had long since received her acceptance letter, a month before her birthday. As promised, her mother had brought her to Diagon Alley when she had finally turned 11 to purchase her cauldron, textbooks, and most importantly, her wand. She hadn’t actually received her wand yet; that day, her mother had simply requested for her Basilisk Horn, passing it to Mr Ollivander who had sported a mildly perturbed but intrigued smile.

As they collect it today, he wears that same expression as her wand is presented to her - a slightly spiked beige Hawthorn wand that starts perfectly straight from the furnished brown handle and ripples out towards the tip in curves. It reminded her of her late Basilisk, and apparently that had been Mr Ollivander’s intention.

“It’s been a while since I’ve handled a core not from my shop,” a twinkle of curiosity in his eyes as he regards Sejeong. “Use it well.”

His words seem to be laced with several meanings and Sejeong finds herself lost in pondering over the advice on her way back home. It lingers in the back of her mind as she busies herself with packing for her “10 month long holiday”, as she had so lovingly dubbed. It hadn’t felt like long before her mother enters the room, announcing that it’s time to go.

The next highlight of her day approaches as they trudge through unwalked forest trails. The spring in her step is inevitable; her mother had promised her a spectacular show of magic to accompany their picnic dinner, and she simply couldn’t contain her excitement. They emerge from the dense forest to a tiny clearing, complete with a stream and soft grass, and her mother lays their stuff down. Sejeong plops herself down onto the open mat, quivering in anticipation as she stares at her mother brandishing her wand.

Oddly, she had never seen her mother use magic before. Her mother had seemed knowledgeable with regards to the topic of magic whenever Sejeong had bombarded her with questions, but the lady herself had never actually displayed any tricks. Sejeong had asked her about this before, and her mother had just brushed her off saying she would show her when Sejeong had grown older.

Sejeong supposes 11 is a milestone age in this case.

Her mother does a quick flick of her wand and soon the basket of food is laying itself out, meat being cut and salad being plated. She gasps as cutlery move on their own, as if they had invisible butlers present. Another swish, and soon there are tiny specks of light dancing around them, as if the stars had flown down from the universe to join their little party. A flourish causes various flowers to bloom around them, and within moments the clearing has transformed from a dark plain to glowing garden. She even spots a doe and a hawk nearby, watching them.

Sejeong has never loved magic more.

“Magic can do some amazing things. It can make the people around you immensely happy,” her mother lightly taps her wand in the air and a flower flies to her, proceeding to give it to Sejeong. “But it can also do horrible things.”

A roaring, bellowing noise rips through the atmosphere as a stream of fire pours out from her mother’s wand. It charges through into the air, taking on the form of a dragon, and then a lion, and then a snake, and back and forth, constantly metamorphosing. Stricken with fear and quite a bit of awe, Sejeong sits still, wide-eyed and mouth ajar as she stared at the flames lashing out, thirsting to blaze through anything, everything, but never does under her mother’s control. As abruptly as they had appeared, the flaming beasts snuffed out into the air, leaving only a thin layer of smoke in the air as evidence of its flash existence.

“Fiendfyre,” her mother answers the yet articulated question. “Absolutely destructive and incredibly hard to control. But not impossible. Helpful if you’re in a pinch like being surrounded by an army of Acromantulas.”

The small chuckle that follows makes her suspect her mother had been speaking from experience.

“The thing is, no magic is inherently evil. Yes, there are spells that can inflict excruciating pain upon those afflicted, but remember, spells only exist when there is a caster. Ultimately, it is the witch or wizard who chooses what their magic will do. If you stick to your ideals and stay on your path,” her mother swishes her wand once more, and this time a bright white-blue light pours out, materialising into a polar bear, slowly padding towards them. “You just might be able to perform some of the most beautiful spells.”

The personified spell approaches her, eventually close enough to nuzzle its ethereal muzzle to her neck. It prods around her, emitting warmth and happiness Sejeong had never even expected spells to be capable of doing. She looks into its soft eyes and somehow sees brown ones, ever so familiar and filled with a maternal warmth she has always been blessed to receive.

“Always keep this in mind, Sejeong, and I’m sure you’ll become a fine witch who I’ll always be proud of.”

Sejeong feels like a balloon has been inflating within her as she tackles her mother into a hug. She affirms her resolve to become someone great and good, who can give her mother the world for having guided her to a beautiful one.

-

The surprises don’t end after they’ve left the clearing, though Sejeong could certainly have lived without the coming encounter.

They’re greeted by the very same doe and hawk who had been watching them in the clearing at their doorstep. Sejeong’s face scrunches in confusion while her mother visibly tenses.

And for good reason too, as she came to find out a beat later.

Her heart drops in rhythm with the transformation of the two animals into figures she could never forget.

“Pleasant night,” the same man who had taken her Basilisk away from her greeted.

Sejeong’s jaw is set, her permanent smile lost, even as the elegant lady from before smiles at her. She wants to demand a reason for their presence - to hell with age hierarchy - but he beats her to the punch.

“I believe it’s time to leave,” he addresses her mother directly, and this catches Sejeong’s attention.

Leave? Where to? She relays these questions through the brief eye contact shared between her and her mother, before the latter drops her eyes in guilt.

Sejeong’s heart plummets further.

“Give me some time to explain the situation, please,” her mother requests as she takes Sejeong’s hand, guiding her into their house. “Privately.”

The man nods as they brush past him.

She’s seated on the couch, her mother sitting on the single armchair opposite her. That had never been a good sign.

“Where are we going?” Sejeong bites the bullet and cuts to the chase.

“Where am I going,” her mother corrects, and it does nothing to help her sinking heart float. “You’re going to Hogwarts tomorrow. As for me…”

Her mother sighs as she drops her head into her hands, bent over with elbows resting on knees. Sejeong can feel the pricks in her heart, messy stitches snapping one at a time. She wants to cross over to the armchair, embrace her mother, cheer her mother up - but something keeps her ingrained into the sofa, watching by the sidelines as her mother breaks down and plucks up her courage.

“Remember what I said about how magic is dependent on the intention of the caster?” Sejeong apprehensively nods, not liking where this is going. “Your father… He hadn’t used them for good things. Horrible things, he had done. I had been the one sent to apprehend him.”

She feels the locks of her heart creaking at the mention of him, threatening to spill all the repressed issues within. It presses against her chest, an overdue boulder she hadn’t broken down in its early motions to flatten everything in its path. A part of her fears the impending breakdown she knows she will have, but she needs to know.

She continues staring, expecting.

“I didn’t. I couldn’t. And so I abandoned my responsibility as an Auror - the police of the Wizarding World of sorts - to run away with him. We had you, and then they eventually found us. He died trying to escape.”

Issues she had fought so hard to never surface were clawing their way out, festering and thriving on the new information. Struggling, she forces everything back in and barely succeeds through well-practiced motions. They still spike out, clogging her throat like bile.

“And you?” She barely chokes out.

Her mother somehow manages to curl herself up even more, looking much smaller than a few moments ago.

“A life sentence to Azkaban Prison. Treason had been my crime, and it’s of the highest order. I had managed to get it delayed till you turned 11 and entered Hogwarts, so now…”

Sejeong doesn’t need a completion of the sentence to reach her own conclusion. Her mother, the only person who had ever known who she was, the person who had taught her everything, made her, molded her, loved her - and now she was going to disappear from Sejeong’s life.

She wants to cry. She wants to let her heart crumble, let it break properly so it could bide its time and heal properly. She wants to break down, deny the truth, futilely attempt to escape with her mother to prevent this predetermined outcome.

But she doesn’t, because she can’t.

She’s not the one hurting the most now.

So Sejeong gathers up the familiar motion and creates a smile, walking over to hug her mother.

"I’m glad you did what you had done, because it was through those actions that I managed to exist. I was going to be in Hogwarts most of the time anyway, so us being apart was bound to happen,” her steeled voice, painted a convincing shade, manages to persuade even herself a little. “7 years later when I graduate, I’ll become someone great enough to be able to visit you whenever, and get you out. So don’t be sorry, and don’t worry about me. I love you and will never blame you for the decisions you have made.”

Her mother regards her with such love that her heart heals instantly. A bone-crushing hug is her mother’s response as convoluted sobs erratically throb in the air, a sonata played solo as Sejeong remains mum, with only the minute areas of dampness on her mother’s shirt as evidence of her tears.

She doesn’t remember much of the aftermath of their last intimate moment. It feels as though time slithers by her as she watches herself follow her mother out the door, coming face to face with the man who had poisoned her world twice. They exchange silent words, and her mother falls into step beside them. Sejeong stays rooted by the doorway, the distance apparent to her but unable to close the gap.

Her mother does it instead and hangs something over her neck, lips ghosting her forehead.

"So that I’ll always be with you.”

Sejeong examines the item: a locket, the scenery from a few hours ago engraved on it. Specks representing the firefly-esque lights wafted lightly across it, flowers amongst the grass dancing lightly in the same rhythm, with a polar bear in the distance.

Then it hits her that her mother is leaving, for good, and that she will likely never see her doting expression another time, never hear her gentle chides once more, never feel her healing embrace ever again.  
And so she allows herself one wrangled sob, and another, and then a final hug.

When they part, Sejeong ensures her brightest smile is sculpted on, reassuring and encouraging. Then they disappear into the night, and so does her smile.

Now, Sejeong doesn't have a mother either.

\---

That night, Sejeong lies in bed, painfully aware of how alone she was. She can no longer feel the solid structure of her heart, however tattered the container had been; a mass of pain sears in the spot, everything able to flow out but instead concentrating just there, where her heart should have been. Everything was out now. The repressed emotions, the unspeakable issues, the truths. Unearthed from the graveyard where she had laid them down in hopes of them dying off, unleashed from the chests where she had chained them in, unrestricted by her poorly mended heart which had been seared away. 

Sejeong knows she cannot function without a heart.

So she directs everything to the only thing capable of containing anything now: her locket. She channels it all inside, and feels her heart mend and rebirth. 

The locket hangs around her neck, weighing down. It presses right against her new heart, a reminder of her repressed self.

She falls asleep with the comforting burden of a chained vortex within her, separate from her conscious, yet never leaving it.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which within the first 2 days of school, Sejeong meets cute girls and almost dies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't exactly pinpoint their character voices so if it feels a little off, I'm sorry (I'll try harder as we go by).

Sejeong barely makes it onto the train. Seriously, how was she expected to know that she had to ram herself into a specific wall of London’s busiest train station, with oblivious Muggles milling around, in order to access the platform? They really needed to have an orientation guide or something; Sejeong wouldn’t have known  _ anything _ about Hogwarts had she not asked her mother upon reading the acceptance letter.

Her steps increasingly drag as she wanders down the train corridor, peering into every compartment in hopes of an empty space welcoming her, but collecting a dollop of disappointment each try. As she approaches the end of the last carriage and starts to entertain the idea of sitting at the front of the train with the conductor - Sejeong supposes he might make for good conversation, though distracting him might not be such a great idea considering the lives of a thousand students are in his hands - she strikes jackpot with a compartment just shy of the end. Oddly enough, there’s just a lone girl sitting by the window, lolled head a clear indication of her being asleep. Sejeong supposes that might be why no one has entered the compartment to share it with her, but she has literally walked from the head of the train to its tail to no avail and she’s  _ tired _ . Hence, she sheds a few layers of shame and - still considerate enough - quietly slides the door open.

Thankfully, the girl continues swaying along with the motion of the train and Sejeong safely seats herself on the opposite velvet-cushioned bench. With her dark hair draping over her face, Sejeong can’t make anything out of the girl apart from her arms tightly wrapped around a large rectangular cage, twice the length of the girl’s width. She spies a hazel-furred hamster sleeping in the corner just like its owner, and Sejeong wonders if her cabin mate knows that that’s probably not what Hogwarts had meant when they had mentioned that a pet is allowed.

As the girl before her shows no sign of awakening, she supposes some silence would be good on this trip - after all, the journey to Hogwarts takes almost 7 hours and not even she can find that many things to talk about to someone completely new to her. 

\---

She’s just about ready to chuck her Astronomy textbook out the cabin window when a gasped “oh crap” diverts her attention. Her clueless companion is finally awake after a grand 4 hours - completely missing lunch too. Sejeong observes her flustered movements, hastily but still incredibly gently shifting her hamster’s cage off her and then proceeding to smoothen her sleep-wrinkled clothes. 

_ Cute. _

“Sorry, I didn’t know you had come in at all,” the sheepish smile flashed at her makes the thought resonate in Sejeong’s mind even louder. “How long has it-”

She would’ve thought the train had rolled over a couple of boulders with the volume of that stomach rumble. The girl flushes even redder, hands masking her face as she laughs out an apology. 

“It’s alright, you did sleep through lunch, after all,” Sejeong couldn’t help the teasing in her voice, wide grin completing the set. “I bought some extra snacks when the trolley lady came around earlier. Figured it might make for a nice peace offering for having invaded your compartment. You can help yourself to them.”

She gestures to the various treats splayed out on the table before them, a little bit of everything adorning the area. Wide eyes filled with bewilderment catch hers.

“I might have gone a little wild with my purchase.”

“Tell me about it,” light laughter bubbling out of the girl. “How much  _ did _ you spend?”

“Bit less than 3 galleons,” Sejeong sheepishly admits and reaches over to a cauldron cake. “These little devils are pricey, but oh so good.”

She places it down on the opposite side, gesturing for the girl to go ahead. Response comes in the form of a grateful smile and Sejeong busies herself with sizing up the sole box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans on their table. She had the unfortunate luck of scoring a vomit flavoured one as her virgin experience with them earlier, but the path to the sweetest berries is always wrought with the thorniest bushes. Firming her resolve, she delves into the pits of terror and pulls out a lone cream coloured bean. She bites bullet and pops it into her mouth.

“What’s your name, by the way?”

Then promptly spits it out after a single chew. 

She blindly grabs for a Jelly Slug and stuffs it into her mouth, desperately attempting to override the explosion of  _ earwax _ coating every surface of her mouth. Her scrunched up face meets the other girl’s quirked eyebrow and chaffed smile.

“Was it that surprising of a question?”

“I landed an earwax flavoured one,” Sejeong chokes out when bile finally stops threatening to spew out of her. 

“They have  _ earwax _ ones?” A cross between disgust and horror flashes across the girl’s face. “I knew I would be in for a hell of a ride when entering the Wizarding World, but bad choices of flavours of jelly beans had not been in my list of Things To Look Out For.”

“You didn’t actually make a list, right?”

“Of course not. Even if I had been the listing type, I wouldn’t know where to begin. My parents aren’t magic.”

Sejeong doesn’t know why the news surprises her, but it does. Perhaps it’s the way she has always hidden her magic from Muggles around her that had resulted in the impression that magical and non-magical worlds don’t collide. 

“I hadn’t thought that Muggles could give birth to a magic child,” she enunciates her thoughts.

“Muggles? Is that a term for non-magic people?”

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a mouthful to always say ‘non-magic people’, so I guess the old witches and wizards coined a term for them.”

“Huh,” the girl nods in understanding, as if absorbing the information. “But yeah, I’m Muggle born then. I’m guessing by your surprise that your parents are magic?”

A slight twinge manages to nick her heart before she stifles it.

“Yeah. I’m also Sejeong.”

The abrupt jump in the flow of conversation threw the girl off. She cocks her head, eyebrows furrowing.

“What?”

“My name,” a cheeky smile grows on Sejeong’s face. “Just answering the question you asked before we digressed.

“Ah,” the girl responds in understanding, returning the smile.

“I’m Chungha.”

\---

They’re beside each other as they marvel at the ceiling of the Great Hall together; the self-rowing boats from before paled so greatly in comparison to the landscape of the galaxy above them, candles afloat lighting up the Hall. It almost makes Sejeong bridge her relationship with her Astronomy textbook - almost.

Professor Jang hushes their excited chatter and flamboyantly - she hadn’t expected that adjective to be matched with any of their teachers, especially not the one ushering them in - gestures to the front: a worn wooden chair, with an even more worn conical hat perched atop. She does an excited jiggle on the spot.

“What was that?” Chungha regards her amusedly.

“We’re going to get sorted into our houses! Remember the 4 houses I mentioned on the train? Housemates see each other all the time, so it’d be great to end up being near people we can have fun with for the next 7 years.”

“Now, when I call your name, you will come forth and place the Sorting Hat atop your head. Do not be alarmed when it speaks to you; only you can hear its voice. When it announces your home for the next 7 years, accept it with pride and join the rest of your family sitting at one of those 4 tables there!” And Sejeong wonders how everything Professor Jang says could be conveyed theatrically - must be some form of magic in its own way too.

In no particular order that she can decipher, Professor Jang called out a first year one at a time and within a couple of seconds to a minute, the hat would bellow out a house, followed by the drowning cheers from said house. It was all very festive and welcoming; the students all made each other feel at home, and Sejeong wistfully wonders if she could ever feel that too. Thankfully, a question hauls her out from drifting further inside herself.

“Where are you hoping to end up in?”

She pauses at Chungha’s words, deliberating. 

“Somewhere I can grow to become someone great. I’ve got places to be, after all,” the hint of contempt slips through and she hastily tries to lighten the mood. “Would be great if I ended up with you though.”

Her trademark cheeky smile incited a possibly-soon-to-become trademark eye roll from Chungha. 

“Kim Sejeong.”

The slight grip around her heart kickstarts a series of fervent thumps, gradually accelerating. She looks to her right for encouragement - why she felt she needed it, she doesn’t really know - and is met with a reassuring grin, said girl somehow looking even more excited than her. Sejeong returns a shaky one of her own and inhales a steadying breath, striding to the front a beat later. Professor Jang holds the hat in one hand and when she takes her seat, she feels the hat encompassing her head.

They probably should hire a tailor soon, because this hat was definitely way too big for 11 year olds, and she definitely prefers the view of the Great Hall to the inside of the hat.

_ “I might have been slightly offended, if I were not plenty more amused by that sentiment.” _

_ Holy Merlin’s right buttoc- _

_ “And I’ll have to cut you there, I believe. Wouldn’t want the imagery of that ruining the sorting now, do we?” _

Sure, Professor Jang had preempted them about this, but hearing an unfamiliar voice resonate so strongly within your mind was just strange. Cool, incredibly awesome, but still disorientating. Sejeong loves it already.

_ So if you’re placed on my head, we can have a conversation through thoughts? What about if I speak, will you be able to hear that?  _

_ “My dear girl, I’m not deaf. But we digress. Don’t want to keep all the other kids waiting, yes?” _

_ Right. Sorry. How are you? _

_ “As much as I’m thankful for your concern of my wellbeing, I believe that question should be directed towards you. Curious child you are, indeed. Very complex, with your layers all intermingling. Must be quite a tall ordeal to reach the core; you certainly have closed off some parts of you well. And for good reason too, these issues you bury seem to bring about too much pain to yourself.” _

The barrage of observations makes Sejeong freeze up and stay mum; her burning fascination had frozen solid and plummeted down with her heart mid-beat. She tries to kickstart her brain, pushing forth the usual bright side of her while repressing the other side even more, compressing it so it would be easily outshined. 

_ Everyone has their different issues, after all. But I’m fine, I’m great actually! Gotta be thankful that I’m here, with new friends and surrounded by all the wonders of magic. _

It doesn’t work.

_ “You’re strong; or at least, you try to be. But the brightest lights also cast the darkest shadows. When the time comes for the right people to pave through this ever-evolving maze you have constructed, I hope you guide them to the heart of it. _

_ “But alas, we have digressed once more. Forgive me, it has been a while since I have met a curious individual like you. Aside from that glaring issue, you have within you facts of your life that will throw some hurdles in your path. You will encounter difficulties, you will question everything, but your will is strong and your desire is great. It is only fitting that you belong in--” _

“Slytherin!” The hat’s voice booms out, and the resounding cheers from the rightmost table almost drown out the hat’s parting words.

_ “Welcome back to your roots.” _

Sejeong breaks into a relieved smile - mainly at not having to be subject to the Sorting Hat dissecting her any longer - and skips over to the long table. Her eyes seek for her newest and only friend in Hogwarts thus far and a tiny flash of double thumbs up makes her smile wider. She returns the gesture encouragingly. 

As she seats herself at the end of the table, a girl who reminds her way too much of a cat or a fox reaches over to introduce herself, hand outstretched. 

“Heehyun, nice to meet you,” there’s a smirk accompanied with it, but Sejeong doesn’t see any malice in her eyes; she figures it just might be Heehyun’s default smile.

She takes the offered hand with a firm shake, returning a smile. Heehyun grins wider, eyes lightening up.

“You sure took a while up there; certainly more than a minute. What held you up?”

“Nothing much, apparently having a conversation with the hat isn’t something students usually do,” she brushes off, not entirely lying.

“Yeah, I don’t think so. What would you talk to a dusty old hat about, anyway?”

Sejeong was about to respond, when the next name Professor Jang calls out catches her attention.

“Kim Chungha.”

She diverts her eyes to the front of the hall, where Chungha strolls to the front, seemingly relaxed with easy smile. The slight tremble in her hands as her fingers play with each other doesn’t go unnoticed by Sejeong, and she sends a tiny fist pump the former’s way. Chungha flashes her teeth a little before the hat gets placed on her head and soon engulfs half of her head.

“Did we all really look like that, with the hat covering half our face?” Sejeong asks incredulously. “They really do need a tailor.”

“Probably has to be kept large enough to be perched atop those big-headed Gryffindor kids, though,” Heehyun shrugs. “Not that Slytherins are any much better, considering the way it sat neatly on my head for all 15 seconds.”

They exchange wry smiles at the joking counter, Sejeong deciding it might be great to have this girl around already. It’s always fun to have people who could both take and dole a joke out. 

A couple of seconds pass, and then more. The consistent hum of indistinct chatter around the hall dims as people start to notice the absence of a bellowing voice every couple of moments. More eyes train on the lone figure sitting in the front, looking incredibly small under the massive hat, though her straight posture and slight smile does exude a reassuring confidence that helps mitigate the nervous bubbles Sejeong feels in the pits of her stomach.

_ Must be the hunger, digestive juices flowing around and all. _

A full minute passes by, then two. The chatters are back now, as everyone starts to discuss about how “it’s almost been 4 minutes! Will this be the first Hatstall in 6 years?” and Sejeong’s stomach is in knots, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed as she wonders why her friend is taking so long up there. If her taxing conversation had barely taken a minute and a half, what exactly could be going on up there for Chungha’s to be this long? She hopes it’s nothing to do with her being a Muggle born - that just wouldn’t seem fair.

Sejeong watches as Chungha remains in her position - not that she could have moved from the seat, but her upright back and twiddling fingers had been the same for the past 4 and a half minutes - with her lips occasionally pursing, or mouth opening in understanding; simple indications of a long conversation with the hat. 

The 5 minute mark passes, and the chatters bloom even greater. Everyone is taking guesses as to where the Sorting Hat would place this girl who “must be someone extraordinary, or simply just doesn’t belong anywhere”, when a voice finally blares out to shatter the tension.

“Gryffindor!”

The cheers holler out louder than anyone preceding Chungha, volume intensified by every other student from the remaining houses discussing the peculiar event. She watches as Chungha lifts the hat off herself, bright grin - albeit a twinge ambivalent - breaking through as she lightly pads over to the Gryffindor table, receiving a storm of whoops and pats on her back on the way. Sejeong catches herself grinning at the actions, happy to see the girl finally sorted and surrounded by people welcoming her. Their eyes meet once more amidst all the congratulating of the other girl, as if Chungha’s had been seeking hers, and a gentler smile is exchanged with a genuine one of her own. Then some Gryffindor buffoon intercepts their line of sight by standing in front of Chungha, possibly to hear all about the juicy details of the Hatstall. Sejeong feels her surroundings fade back in.

“Good friend of yours? You were concentrating real hard on her Sorting, shooting each other looks and all,” Heehyun questions with a light tease.

“We did just meet on the train,” Sejeong ponders the title for a while. 

“But I suppose you could call us that.”

\---

She makes a mental note to visit the library later for a spell to keep herself awake; really, she should have known that having a professor and formal classes wouldn’t magically - she mentally snorted at the irony - conjure up some love for Astronomy within her. At least she’s actually trying to stay awake; Heehyun had passed out within the first 5 minutes and the numerous kicks Sejeong has delivered to her chair have all been futile. Said chair would probably have their leg collapse if she kicks it one more time, and Sejeong tries to affirm that it’s because of that thought, and not her crumbling resolve to stay awake, that she does not attempt once more.

Then she feels a kick to  _ her _ chair.

Jolting up a little, she snaps her head to her right, slightly affronted. The culprit stares blankly at the front, looking neither guilty nor attempting to feign ignorance - she’s simply continuing to pay attention to Professor Sinistra marvel on about the exceedingly complicated chart she has displayed at the front beside her, diligently taking notes. (Sejeong offhandedly wonders why their first introductory lesson has to be about the night sky in the dead of the morning when the only star visible is the sun shining high up ahead on a Sunday morning.) 

Sejeong would have confronted her if not for the note that slides silently onto her sleep-scribble-filled notebook. 

_ “Sinistra’s been eyeing you. 88, 224.7, 365.2, 686.97, 4331.572, 10747, 30589, 59800, 90560.” _

She frowns at the random string of numbers, wondering if Ravenclaws really liked puzzles  _ that _ much that they even passed notes in encrypted messages. Nevertheless, she deduces that her tablemate was trying to give her a heads up and scribbles a thank you on the lined paper.

She has barely scratched out the ‘a’ when Professor Sinistra calls her out.

“Ms Kim, would you be so kind as to remind the class what the orbital periods for the 8 planets and 1 dwarf planet in our solar system are?” She raises an eyebrow challengingly, arms crossed and weight resting on her right.

All that runs through Sejeong’s mind is a blank, save for self-reproaching thoughts like “why in the name of Dumbledore’s wispy beard did I not try writing some of these stuff down, it might even have helped in keeping me awake”. She glances over to Heehyun, as if the girl might magically have the answers written on her drool covered arm, but one look at her friend’s obliviously peaceful sleeping face does nothing but make her lament her luck. 

Then she realises something actually  _ might _ have the answers miraculously written on it.

“88, 224.7, 686.97, 4331.572, 10747, 30589, 59800, 90560. All in Earth Days, Professor.”

Sejeong has never been more thankful for her gift in keeping a steady voice no matter the situation. Professor Sinistra’s other eyebrow now joins its raised sister in surprise, and she’s evidently mildly disgruntled that the student she had been so sure had not been paying attention could answer her question. She doesn’t hesitate to verbalise that sentiment.

“I suppose that might have seeped into your dreams in your previous half-asleep state. Let’s just hope your friend beside you manages to study through diffusion as well.”

This time, Sejeong doesn’t hesitate to kick Heehyun’s chair - danger of causing a broken chair leg be damned.

-

The long-awaited end of Astronomy lesson arrives, and Heehyun jolts awake on cue. Before Sejeong has even gathered her books proper, her dormmate flies past her, screaming something about grabbing her Defense Against the Dark Arts book and meeting her straight in class. Sejeong supposes it shouldn’t be surprising that Heehyun is so energised. 

The Ravenclaw beside her also starts on her speedy march out the class, and Sejeong calls out, stopping her before she loses sight of her.

“Wait, wait.”

The girl turns around mechanically and regards her expectantly, face albeit still as expressionless as ever. Sejeong wonders what kind of smile she has, and thinks that maybe they have more in common than she expected. 

“Thanks for the note just now, you really saved my life there,” the girl just nods in response. “Why did you do that, anyway? Not complaining of course, just curious.”

“I just thought it wouldn’t be nice to get picked on on your first lesson,” Sejeong is kind of amazed at how the former delivers that completely stoic. 

She does pick up on the slight natural warmth in the other girl’s voice - maybe she just isn’t very good with expressions yet. 

“Watch out next time though, I might not be able to give you the answers again.”

Sejeong grins at the lack of finality in the warning, as if the other girl was keeping the possibility of feeding her more answers open for the future. This girl really isn’t as cold as she seems.

“So there’s a next time? Got that! May I know the name of my new Astronomy class buddy then? I’m Sejeong,” she chirps.

Eyes widen in surprise at the title Sejeong had bestowed on her, and the girl’s lips quirk into a hesitant smile. Sejeong thinks she’s instantly ten times cuter.

“Nayoung. Im Nayoung.”

\---

Sejeong eventually comes to the conclusion that she might not have an affinity with anything related to the sky. 

After a day filled with introductory lessons as boring as History of Magic, the last lesson finally arrives with everyone jittering about in excitement. It was the only introductory lesson in which all the First Years would be experiencing together, and for good reason too: had any of the various batches gone for their Flying class before any other lesson, they would definitely not have been able to concentrate on anything else. Though, Sejeong wonders if having over a hundred 11 year olds - of whom most have no experience in flying - unleashed in the sky was really such a good idea.

Then she sees the 4 Quidditch teams and understands why Hogwarts was so confident of their arrangement. 

A quick display of their elite flying abilities is put on for them, everyone marvelling at the way the Slytherin Chasers’ paths interweave tightly without any collision, or how the Hufflepuff Seeker makes a dive so steep and fast that everyone is sure he was bound be reduced to a splatter that Professor Kahi has to scrape up later, only to pull up a mere half metre off the ground, cruising away elegantly. The 28 fliers land and they all break into cheers, secondhand adrenaline coursing through them.

“Welcome to the Introductory Lesson of Flying. You’ve just witnessed what some of you might just be able to achieve, if you give your all into the lessons coming your way.”

A ball flies towards Professor Kahi - mounted on a broom a bit off the ground - at an alarming speed as she talks, and ranges of tense murmurings and heated warnings sound out, but she ignores it all and continues.

“As glorious as Quidditch is, flying isn’t just about the sport; if you have a broom and the necessary skills, you can escape any situation, outrange all your opponents, incorporate it into any battle - it can be a skill that helps you in your daily lives.”

Just as the ball is about to cave her skull in, Professor Kahi suddenly swoops around it, wand flourishing with a “Bombarda” cried out, and the ball explodes into a tiny flurry of fireworks. Exclamations of awe sound out from amongst them and Sejeong shares an excited smirk with Heehyun - flying might seem cool, but flashy things blowing up is definitely right up their alley.

“Now everyone stand beside a broom over there - they’re all the same so no need to pick and choose.”

Sejeong spots Chungha a bit away from her with another Gryffindor girl mid conversation, and skips over to their brooms to join her with Heehyun coming along. She hasn’t seen her since the Sorting last evening, what with their introductory lessons having been split by houses with the Slytherins paired with Ravenclaws and Gryffindors with the Hufflepuffs. 

“Hey! Haven’t seen you in a while; how were lessons today?” She enquires with a bright smile greeting them both.

“Might have learned more if Jieqiong here hadn’t distracted me throughout with her antics,” Chungha rolled her eyes, but the smile playing on her lips gave away that she hadn’t been upset after all.

“Come on, I kept you awake in all those boring lessons! Oh hi, I’m Jieqiong by the way,” the girl’s eyes curve as she waves.

“Sejeong, and this is Heehyun. We sure could’ve used someone like you in our lessons today; all Heehyun has done is rejuvenate herself for Flying class,” Sejeong jabs her elbow playfully into Heehyun’s side, inciting a punch on her shoulder in return.

“Yeah and that’s going to be what makes me fly circles around you later. Ain’t going to save your ass if you fall.”

“Please, no one’s going to be  _ that _ bad.”

-

She swallows her previous statement - apparently  _ she _ can be that bad. While Chungha had gotten her broom up in one try, Heehyun and Jieqiong not long after her, Sejeong had been one of the last few to accomplish that - a whole 10 minutes after them, in which Heehyun had spent delightfully cackling while keeping true to her words, circling around her a little off the ground. Chungha - bless her soul - had stayed beside her, mounted broom off the ground, encouraging and occasionally grabbing the broom the few times its handle had threatened to fly into Sejeong’s face. 

Now that they were in the air, 10 metres off the ground with Professor Kahi and the 28 Quidditch Team members on standby, Sejeong struggles to keep up with her friends zooming past and around her, the scene before her every bit the chaos she had imagined it to be when a 100 kids get unleashed on flying brooms. No one’s exactly doing tricks or flying at top speeds, but they’re all at least somewhat stable - something Sejeong can’t really say for herself. She wobbles a bit more in the air as she chases up to Heehyun, who is consistently taunting her; Sejeong adds some hexes and jinxes to her growing checklist for her library visit later on.

“Maybe you should have used your time efficiently as well, then you wouldn’t be tottering behind now,” Heehyun digs as she leans her weight a little to the left, forcing Sejeong to have to veer left as well.

She sighs in exasperation and attempts to mimic Heehyun’s actions - her infuriating roommate  _ is _ helping her in her own vexatious way, Sejeong begrudgingly supposes - but she ends up leaning a little too much weight onto her left and is abruptly jerked sideways across the field, broom with no intention of stopping. 

A voice that sounds suspiciously like Professor Kahi warns that “the brooms have a tendency to fly a little too far to the left” in her mind, and Sejeong can only think that this is way more than a little before she feels herself slip off the blasted broom. 

She has a sense of déjà vu just as she tumbles down, memories of the boy from her childhood falling down the tree, and she wonders if she can replicate that moment as the ground zooms in at an alarming speed. Filled with dread, her eyes squeeze close as her rapid heartbeat fills her ears, body tensing in wait of the horrid end to her short life. 

The breath she had unconsciously been holding is choked out of her when she suddenly feels her robe being yanked upwards, drastically reducing the speed of her fall. The impact with the ground still arrives, but it didn’t feel like the 500 tonne smash to her tiny body like she had imagined. Instead, she lands on her left arm with an unceremoniously loud thud, momentum forcing her body to bounce and roll, traversing a few metres with every collision multiplying the bruises bound to form on her body, and perhaps a couple of broken bones. As she lands one final time, reduced to a crumpled mess of sore flesh and excruciating bones, a bundle of black lands on her like a rag doll, the impact knocking the wind out of her once more. 

Somewhere in her dimming consciousness, she registers a stampede approaching with Heehyun’s and Professor Kahi’s voice leading the pack.

_ I knew this lesson was a bad idea.  _


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sejeong and Chungha bond over medical wards and foul medicine while she and Heehyun try to murder each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short-ish chapter because I split it into two in the end.

Sejeong registers muted babbles floating around her first, then the bright blots mistily drifting around as she strains her eyes a peep open. She attempts to lift her hand to rub her eyes into focus, but the stab of pain in her shoulder and soreness spreading throughout her right arm restricts even the slightest tense of her arm. Eyebrows furrowing even more in concentration, she trains her senses in on her surroundings, trying to calibrate herself. 

She distinctly hears an unfamiliar voice exclaiming that she shouldn’t be awake now, then promptly feels some liquid being shoved down her throat, spilling over onto her robes.

Then she’s back in that dreamless sleep once more.

\---

When she fully wakes, she thanks Merlin for the absence of blinding lights and disorienting chatter. Looking around, she’s not surprised at where she finds herself in: lying amongst the clean white sheets of the Hospital Wing, soft bed under her, a dozen more unoccupied ones neatly lined in the same room around her, bar one. One bed beside her, which was currently host to a peacefully resting Chungha, slow light breaths wafting in the air. Sejeong’s face scrunches in confusion. In the meager half an hour she had survived in Flying class, she had been witness to Chungha’s surprisingly proficient flying; definitely a cut above everyone else around them. She wonders how the girl had ended up lying in bed, exposed arms looking just about as busted as her own, bundled in a cast and all.

She squints at the clock somewhere in the far corner and notes that it’s nearing 3 in the morning; they certainly have been out for long. Figuring she’d just get her answers tomorrow, Sejeong falls back to rest once more, catching up on the naps she had resisted in all those introductory lessons.

\---

This time, she’s awoken by the blinding glares of the sun, seeping through her eyelids and invading her consciousness. Groggily, she rubs the sleep from her eyes, then belatedly notes that she’s able to move her arms freely. She examines her arms in awe, seeming perfectly fine with no visible damages nor any sharp pains, just a slight film of discomfort coating her muscles. 

“Magic sure does save lives, huh?” Sejeong’s head snaps towards the source of the voice - she recognises it as the same one from her half-conscious state earlier - and finds Madam Pomfrey walking over with some breakfast. 

Her stomach growls on cue, eliciting a chuckle from Madam Pomfrey. The food is set on the polished wooden table connected to her bed and a simple gesture from Madam Pomfrey is all Sejeong needs to start tucking in; bread rolls have never tasted any better.

“Thank you for the food, Madam,” she chirps after the first bite. “Oh, and for healing me too!”

“You’re welcome,” Madam Pomfrey chuckled. “You were both in pretty horrid shape when they had rushed you two in, but nothing I couldn’t heal. Flying classes always seem to keep the Hospital Wing busy.”

Sejeong pauses, perplexed. So Chungha  _ did _ fall in Flying too. But how, and why? Anxiety creeps up, a cold trickle climbing up the veins of her heart.

“Was her fall really that bad? Is that why she’s still not awake yet?” She glances over to her left, observing the patient still very much out cold. “She was really good during the lesson, how did she ge-”

“Relax, my dear, too many questions in one shot! She’s just sleeping; that child can really rest,” Madam Pomfrey poured her a glass of milk and set it on the table. Hesitantly accepting the answer, she reaches for the glass gratefully, not forgetting to express her thanks, and takes a generous gulp to quench her parched throat. 

Then proceeds to spurt half of it out - thankfully she managed to cover her mouth in time. 

These incidences seem to be happening way too often to her.

She pauses mid coughing fit to glare at the offensive substance in the glass, affronted. The innocent creamy white liquid simply sits there unassuming.

“What were you expecting, milk? You’re in recovery, of course we feed you medicine,” chides Madam Pomfrey as she brings a towel over for Sejeong to clean her hands. “Now finish it up, no spitting this time.”

Sejeong grimaces as she takes the sinful glass in her hands again, hardening her crumbled resolve. The memory of the medicine lingers in her mouth after downing it and she gags slightly. What a disincentive for students to visit the Hospital Wing, indeed. She stuffs another bread roll into her mouth.

“She’ll have one waiting for her when she wakes up too,” Madam Pomfrey gestures over to Chungha, consciousness still not present despite all the ruckus Sejeong had created. “And when she does, you’ll be taking one with her too.”

“But--”

“No buts, you were in a worse state than her. Now go rest up and occupy yourself; your friend left a book for you to read earlier,” Madam Pomfrey commands as she finishes preparing 2 glasses of lukewarm poison and strides out.

Sejeong belatedly spots a rather new book sitting on the side desk, crisp edges a sign of the lack of usage. A note rests atop it, a ‘figured this suits you very well’ scrawled on it. She picks it up and examines the cover: How to Stay On Your Broom - Flying Tips for the Worst. 

Her library trip was severely overdue. 

Glancing once more at the sleeping Chungha, who showed no signs of waking soon, she resignedly flips the book open to the first page - who knows, it just might help her. The scenario feels awfully familiar, and Sejeong just hopes she doesn’t end up feeling the urge to chuck the book resting in her hands out the window.

-

The book actually does make for an interesting read and Sejeong thinks she just might be able to show some improvement next lesson. She thumbs through the pages, which emphasize that ultimately it takes practice to actually get better, but the tips like imagining a line cutting through both her body and the broom to keep in balance are information she definitely could have used before the fall.

Chungha eventually starts to stir and Sejeong promptly puts the book away - interesting or not, it couldn’t hold a candle to her concern for her friend. Sejeong observes the unknowing girl beside her, nose scrunching as her eyes screw tighter, subconsciously snuggling into the blanket as a hand reaches up to rub her eye slightly. She sits up a little, tousled hair shining under the bright morning sun already high up in the sky, and lets out a little yawn. A sufficient portion of Chungha’s consciousness finally seeps into her body and she turns to her right, greeted by a Sejeong with her elbow perched on her bed’s table, head cocked and supported by her palm with an impish smirk spread across, eyes already showing her teasing mechanisms revving up their engines.

That certainly hauls the rest of Chungha’s consciousness back into her. 

“So is watching you wake up going to be a running thing for us now?” Sejeong begins, corners of mouth further upturned. “Good morning-almost-afternoon, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?”

Chungha seems to still be a little slow - she did just wake up, after all - and only catches and registers the last sentence after a few beats. She glances down at her arms, eyes progressively widening as her mouth gapes to complement the action. After flapping her arms a little, she wriggles about and stretches apprehensively, managing to seem even more amazed with each little test she conducts with her body. A chuckle finally slips through Sejeong’s arduous attempts at stifling her laughter, and it seems to catch Chungha’s attention as she looks up to meet Sejeong’s gaze, awe etched deeply on her face.

“Wow. How long was I asleep for?”

“According to the calendar there, less than 48 hours. Guess broken bones and torn muscles aren’t exactly the hardest things to heal with magic,” Sejeong remarks as she reaches over to her glass of medicine and gestures to the matching one Chungha has on her own table. “Drink up, it’s good for us.”

She watches as Chungha takes the glass in her hands with not a speck of suspicion and takes a generous gulp; the knowledge that she had a companion for the arduous experience made the drink a little more bearable. As expected, Chungha stops at the first gulp, face contorting. Sejeong almost spits again as a result of her laughter.

“What on earth is this?” Chungha exclaimed as she tried to wipe her tongue on the roof of her mouth.

“Medicine that Madam Pomfrey ordered us to down. I’ve had a glass already, but apparently I still need this last one,” Sejeong sighed. “At least we both aren’t drinking this alone.”

Chungha nods solemnly in agreement and they steel their nerves, finishing the rest of the glass.

“Ugh, if this is what Madam Pomfrey’s going to feed us each visit, I definitely will try not to land here again.”

Her words remind Sejeong of what she had been curious about in the first place. “How  _ did _ you end up here, anyway? I saw you on that broom - you were amazing. There’s no way you could have gotten into an accidental fall.”

Chungha ducks her head a little at the compliment, shy smile blooming. “I’m not that great - I couldn’t save us in the end. We’re still lying here having to drink horribly-tasting things like that medicine.”

“Wait-- Save us?” Then she recalls the tug she had felt just shy of a metre off the ground. “You managed to grab and pull me when I had been falling?”

Sejeong’s mouth hangs open as her pan-wide eyes stare at the other girl - who just shyly nods in affirmation. A hot-pot of emotions stew within her - shock, awe, respect, worry,  _ guilt _ . 

“Oh god, I landed you in the hospital? I’m so, so sorry,” and Sejeong just feels  _ bad _ , a pressure creeping higher from her chest to her throat, stifling any coherent words from forming a better apology than just the repeated ‘sorry’. “I-- should have- flown better or something, I--”

She hangs her head low, face crestfallen. “I’m just-- argh.”

A hand roughly ruffles her hair in frustration, stemming from her guilt from hurting Chungha and anger at not being more capable and the incessant blaming of herself and her inability to form a better apology and not knowing how to make it up to her and-

“Hey, it’s alright. It’s fine, we’re both fine, right?” A soft touch on her hand - the one not messing her hair and is instead a tightened fist pressed hard against the crumpled sheets - grabs her attention and she looks up, pained grimace meeting reassuring smile.

Chungha had never been great with comforting people - the right words always evaded her and initiating typical comforting actions seemed too close for comfort most times with her shy disposition - so she hopes her sincere assurance and minute action is sufficient. Thankfully, Sejeong seems like the type to bounce back fast - and bounce back she did.

“Alright, I just have to practice a lot harder to make sure you never need to risk your life to save mine ever again,” Sejeong resolves as she lightly slaps her cheeks a few times and pumps her fists a little.

It makes Chungha giggle, seeing the quick transformation of the shrivelled, self-reproaching girl to a determined and spirited fighter. “Just make sure not to push yourself too hard and end up here again. But I believe in you.”

And she really does - it’s hard not to when Sejeong’s will is so potent it seems contagious, optimism washing over her as well. It also helps her in finding the right words this time, she supposes, as Sejeong regards her with an unbridled beam, gratefulness blinding.

“Thanks,” and Chungha notes how Sejeong’s eyes are as bright as her smile, “for both instances.”

\---

It turns out that Chungha should probably have taken her own advice - a point that Sejeong doesn’t hesitate to quip in greeting as she sets down a plate of dried sweet potato slices and a glass of proper milk. Befriending the house-elves did have its perks it seems, even if they did regard her strangely for being one of the few Slytherins to do so. 

She huffs as she plops down on the stool by the bedside, eyeing the cast Chungha sports once again. Gingerly, she seeks a confirmation. “Did you really not make the team?”

After the incident at the Training Grounds, where every member of the existing Quidditch Teams and Professor Kahi had been witness to Chungha’s feat, she had been offered a chance to try for the Quidditch Team despite having touched a magical broom for the first time that day. First Year tryouts were still pretty much unheard of and tended only to be for exceptional cases through recommendations, even if they had become more common post the legendary Harry Potter’s tryout. Coupling this with her Hatstall just a week prior, it’s no exaggeration to say Chungha’s name had spread throughout the entire school. Just as many had predicted her failure as those who had anticipated her success in making it into the team as the Seeker - position personally highly recommended by the existing Gryffindor Captain-cum-Chaser. It was all anyone could and would talk about recently.

Chungha casually hums out a confirmation mid bite (sharing her comfort food picks with Sejeong had definitely been a good move). 

Sejeong supposes it was going to be all anyone could and would talk about for even longer.

Her eyebrows knit closer together at the lacklustre response. For someone who had just ended up in the Hospital Wing because of a Bludger at full force to her right shoulder - Sejeong is almost certain the Sixth Year Beater had done it to protect his friend’s Seeker position, damn that Gryffindor obsession with individual glory and pride - and had fallen just short of getting the much coveted Seeker position in her First Year, entire situation resulting in many guaranteed uncomfortable murmurs and stares, Chungha seemed incredibly unaffected by it all. Sejeong had been prepared to come here with Comforting Mode set to the highest gear, ready for the possible tears of frustration and woe, encouraging responses and motivational attitude all prepped. A small happy jiggle from Chungha as she relished in the taste of milk - a nice change from the regrettably familiar medicine Madam Pomfrey had force fed her just minutes earlier - and dried sweet potato slices flushed that all through the Hogwarts’ plumbing fast. 

“Are you… not upset?” Sejeong inquires, words feeling foreign on the tip of her tongue. She couldn’t comprehend that thought.

Chungha’s small smile turns a shade woeful and Sejeong suddenly understands. “I was - I am. But I can’t do anything about it now, right? I wasn’t good enough, so I failed.”

“If it’s about that Bludger, that guy was totally doing it on purpose-”

“It wasn’t just that,” her murmur, albeit quiet, held magnitude that snipped Sejeong’s budding rant cleanly. “We both know I wasn’t as fast as that day. I just couldn’t go as quick with the same control. I was so caught up with trying to be swifter, sharper, I didn’t see the Bludger at all. That’s why I’m just not good enough.”

And although Sejeong now sees the Chungha she had been expecting - dejected, deflated, demoralised - the hurt it induces within her is a far cry above what she had prepared for. 

She doesn’t have to dig into Hogwarts’ plumbings to find words nor actions.

Wrapping both arms around her slightly taller friend, careful not to disturb the injured arm, she embraces Chungha warmly. “Not good enough  _ yet _ . You still have so much time to grow, we’re only First Years. Honestly, you might not have been as fast as the previous time, but you were still great, speeding around in the sky of the Training Grounds. My eyes could hardly keep up!” A genuine chuckle spills from Chungha and Sejeong feels the air lighten around them. She continues with renewed energy. “We know where you went wrong this time, so we can work on that together to make sure you make it into the team next year! Gryffindor can just let Slytherin win the Quidditch Cup this year since they don’t have you yet.”

This incites a full chortle from Chungha. “No way, we’re so much better than you guys.

“How are you going to help me, anyway? You can barely stay on your broom,” Chungha smirks as she finally teases back; Sejeong mentally fist pumps in celebration that Chungha seems back.

“I can fall and you can catch me again. That seemed to work the last time we tried it.”

Unrestrained laughter rings out from the both of them - Chungha is definitely back to her usual state. Sejeong smirks.

“Just don’t make me have to fall too much for you.”

Chungha rolls her eyes.

\---

She opts for an early discharge, leaving her arm still sore and half-functional, but she reasons that at least she doesn’t have to drink more doses of Madam Pomfrey’s medicinal potions - all of which seem fouler than its predecessor. She makes it back just in time for their first Charms practical lesson. By some strange stroke of luck, she ends up in the same class as Jieqiong, Sejeong, Heehyun and another Ravenclaw named Nayoung - who Jieqiong so fondly dubbed as Tall Statue ever since she tried to have a conversation with her during their first Transfiguration class and Nayoung had kept a straight face throughout, even when complimenting Jieqiong’s jokes - for most of their lessons. She doesn’t actually know if this is a good thing, considering Jieqiong is absolutely determined to make Nayoung open up and Sejeong and Heehyun are always either completely horsing around or devoted to killing each other, which means that she’s perpetually surrounded by chaos and having to calm three agitated kids down with the help of one reluctant sta- girl. Someone has to ensure they don’t end up killing themselves, after all.

Right now is one such instance where she questions it. Professor Flitwick had allowed them some time to practice on the Levitation Charm - perhaps he figured leaving students to their own devices might be more effective in getting them to learn rather than wasting time and effort in reining them in to watch a demonstration for the upteenth time. Having her dominant arm still in a cast, she couldn’t get the motions precise with her left and had decided on just observing the class instead. Incantations of ‘Wingardium Leviosa’ and other commotion throughout the class were all drowned out by Jieqiong’s inane chatter on her right; as much as she adored her fellow Gryffindor, the girl’s boundless energy and hyperactivity went far beyond Chungha’s capacity, and she has a feeling Nayoung’s energy levels are just as - if not more - low as hers. She feels a slight twinge sorry for her and when Nayoung’s eyes send a silent call for help, she sends what she hopes is an encouraging grin over. Lesson time is Nayoung’s duty; Chungha had to deal with the loss of sleep last night in their shared dormitory room. At least this time, Jieqiong’s story was actually pretty entertaining.

But seeing as she has heard the same story about 3 times in the past week, she tunes them (or just Jieqiong, really, since Nayoung hardly ever says anything) out and looks to her left. To her surprise, the Slytherin duo is actually working on the charm, wands swishing as they flick towards the feather. Sejeong calls out a firm ‘Wingardium Leviosa!’ and her feather starts to float up, drifting around in wobbly circles first then stabilising, completely imitating the way she moves her wand. Naturally, she makes it traverse around the class, brushing past noses and ticklish spots just to disturb them. Typical Sejeong. It catches everyone’s attention, and soon Chungha’s not the only one watching Sejeong’s antics, various degrees of impressed. Professor Flitwick doesn’t hesitate to compliment her, awarding 5 points to Slytherin on her account, which Sejeong thanks him gratefully for. Then turns her attention back to Heehyun.

“Suck on that, Ki! I’ll be expecting that bag of Cauldron Cakes later tonight,” Sejeong taunts smugly. Chungha should have known they’d only be serious in Charms class with other strings attached.

“You sly little pixie, should have known you wouldn’t have suggested the bet without having practiced beforehand,” Heehyun grumbles. “If you’re so good at the spell, why don’t you use it to keep yourself on your broom? Might save Chungha some time in future.”

_ Slytherins and their uncanny ability to always squeeze in a last insult.  _

Chungha can see where this is going already. She lets out a tired sigh, though the affectionate smile teases on her lips. The banter between Sejeong and Heehyun never ceases to entertain, what with their quick wit and them never getting offended by each other. As long as they don’t go too far.

“If you had actually paid attention in Charms lessons, you would know that the Levitation Charm doesn’t work on humans. Merlin, you’re as thick as a troll,” Sejeong fires back without missing a beat. “You know what spell  _ does _ , though? Levicorpus!”

Which, she should have expected that they would, because they always do.

A quick flick up of Sejeong’s wand and Heehyun follows, hanging in the air upside down as if an invisible pulley had lifted her by the ankle. This  _ definitely _ catches everyone’s attention, and it’s suddenly silent after everyone gasps in astonishment, save for Heehyun’s frustrated string of insults at Sejeong’s mirthful refusal to let her down. Before Professor Flitwick can cut in, Heehyun manages to somewhat orientate herself mid-air and counter.

“Flipendo!”

And Sejeong gets thrown back towards the wall - thankfully with Heehyun’s state, the spell’s effects had been weakened and she doesn’t crash into it. Sejeong does end up losing control of her jinx on Heehyun though, which of course results in Heehyun falling towards the ground. Chungha silently thanks the heavens that the feline-like girl resembled cats in ways more than just appearances, for she manages to land somewhat safely. No one should have to go through the medicinal potion ordeal, even if she has a feeling her tiny group of friends might just be the Medical Wing’s regular customers in the near future onwards.

“You’re not the only one with tricks up your sleeves! How about a little duel, double the stakes?” Heehyun challenges as they both pick themselves up from the ground.

“You’re on!” The matching exhilarated countenances the two Slytherins sport makes her dread the worst. Before they can even begin to unleash their barrages of hexes and jinxes on each other - in which Chungha briefly makes a note not to let them go to the library so often, the irony - she gets up from her seat and whips out her wand, hoping her left hand wouldn’t fail her.

“Immobulus!”

Sejeong and Heehyun get stopped mid wand wave, much to Chungha’s relief. The charm wears off pretty quickly, as she had expected, and her two targets turn to regard her.

“Really? You could cast the Freezing Charm but not the Levitation Charm?” Sejeong questions in disbelief.

“I practiced it in case you’d really fall off your broom again, when we do start practicing together,” Chungha deadpans. 

Sejeong groans, Heehyun’s cackles ringing in her ears.


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sejeong and Heehyun seek out the access to other houses and get more than they looked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hella long chapter which I'm not ultra satisfied with, but hope it pleases just the same!

They commence their routine flying practice immediately after Chungha heals, mainly because apart from wanting to get better, Sejeong was also determined to fly circles around her annoying prick of a roommate  _ while _ simultaneously hexing her, and Chungha did have fun flying with her too. It does help them both immensely, and while Sejeong hasn’t exactly accomplished that goal of hers yet - Chungha hasn’t allowed her to even brush against her wand until she can fly around the Central Tower without Professor Kahi brandishing  _ her _ wand in preparation for an accident which has yet to happen - she  _ is _ miles better than her first flight. She also hasn’t fallen, much to both of their relief. Chungha’s movements also seem a lot smoother, subtle flair and grace lacing her ministrations despite powerful bursts of speed. It leaves many in awe, already dubbed as the best flier in their year and definitely the next Gryffindor Quidditch Team Member next year. She always just shyly denies it while Sejeong wholeheartedly agrees beside her. 

Flying doesn’t end up being the only class they work on together during their free time; it somehow turns out with their group of 5 spending most of their time after classes together, mainly in the library sharing notes - or so Sejeong and Heehyun would like to claim as they hide away a copy of Hexes, Jinxes and Curses to Fuel Your Pranking Needs from an exasperated Nayoung - or in the Great Hall just chatting.

It is on one such normal day, when Sejeong and Heehyun are lounging on the sofas - green leathered adorning silver patterns - waiting for Chungha and Jieqiong to be done with some house meeting in the Great Hall, that Sejeong gets one of her greatest ideas yet.

“Heehyun, don’t you think it’d be wonderful if we could access all the other Common Rooms?” Sejeong starts and it instantly piques her only company’s interest. “If we had access to the Gryffindor dorms now, we could just be waiting there with Nayoung for the other two, instead of them having to hang around outside our dorm till another Slytherin can tell us that they’re here, and then having to repeat that at the Ravenclaw dorms.”

Heehyun’s face lights up as the mischief slowly washes over in the form of a Cheshire grin.

“You sure have a lot of brilliant ideas for someone who couldn’t make it into Ravenclaw,” Heehyun jokes, earning a light punch from Sejeong. “So, let’s begin with Gryffindor?”

They simper, making a beeline for the door out.

-

“So the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower is through the portrait of the Fat Lady on the 7th floor landing of the Grand Staircase, right?” Sejeong recites and Heehyun nods in confirmation.

“She always asks for a password, though. How are we going to get that if the notice board is  _ in _ the Common Room?”

Sejeong shrugs, and they climb up the stairs regardless. They’ll figure something out later when they get there.

“Oh, lovely children, where are you off to? Might you have some moments to spare me?” A tired voice calls out to them, pitch higher in an attempt to sound sweet.

Their steps pause, glancing around. There was no one else around, apart from the odd Ravenclaw in the distance heading to the library. The only other movements were the constant, random shifting of the staircases, and the--

Oh.

Sejeong looks to her left where, as she guessed, a portrait was beckoning them.

“Damara Dodderidge?” She reads off the silver nameplate fastened to the rowan frame containing the plump lady. “Were you calling us?”

“Do you see anyone else around?” The portrait snarks back, before slipping back to her lethargic persona. “Oh, I’m so hungry and tired. Could you ask Giffard Abbott - he’s the portrait just down there at the bottom - to send some food up? Just a tiny snack, some beef steak and pork ribs, maybe a little lemon drizzle cake to top it off, and a generous scoop of mashed potatoes with dollops of gravy for the munchies later.”

Sejeong just stares, astonished at a plentitude of points. Before she can even begin to fire her questions on whether portraits even need to eat if they’re technically not alive, Heehyun cuts in.

“Well, we could, but what’s in it for us?” Her drawl keys Sejeong in on her budding plan. She catches on quickly and springs into action.

“We’re so far away from the bottom - we’ve just climbed from the Dungeons where our Common Room is. There needs to be a little reward for helping you despite our aching legs, don’t you say?”

Damara Dodderidge ponders for a while, frowning and groaning as if coming to a difficult conclusion. After a few long moments in which the two imps spend lazily twirling their hair or just letting their eyes wander around, Heehyun decides to give her a little push.

“Well, guess you can wait a little longer for the next student to come around. See you around, Ms Dodderidge!” They wave as they take a step upward, and as expected, the portrait calls out to them.

“Wait, wait! Oh alright, you little baby snakes win! I’ll give you the password to the secret passage I guard in exchange - it brings you to the Clock Tower: ‘meatballs and grape jam’. Now hurry down, my stomach is about to digest itself!” And she plops herself down on the hammock with a grand flop, one arm raised and rested on her forehead as the other shoos them to get on with the errand.

Her words light an imaginary bulb above Sejeong’s head and she smirks.

-

“The Fat Lady guards the entrance to the  _ Gryffindor Common Room _ though; it’s got to be a whole lot harder than getting Damara Dodderidge’s password,” Heehyun remarks, skeptical - and rightfully so, at Sejeong’s plan.

After a little chat with the portrait of Professor Abbott, who Sejeong befriends after an in depth conversation about his dog, he informs that most portraits take a while before sharing their passwords, and those guarding high profile areas typically never do. The crucial tidbit of information he did provide - the one that poked a tiny hole for a glimmer of hope to shine through on Sejeong’s plan - is that sometimes if portraits take a liking to them enough, they just might let the student pass through regardless of possession of password.

“Besides, doesn’t Slytherin and Gryffindor have that centuries old rivalry? Who’s to say she won’t just shun us away once she sees our ties?”

“That would just be discrimination,” Sejeong scrunches her nose. “But to ease your worries anyway, these pastries from the House Elves would do some good in painting a good first impression. I hope.”

“You and your wide connections; gotta thank that lovable personality of yours,” Heehyun begrudgingly admits.

“A nice contrast to what a grump you are,” Sejeong winks as she dodges the predictable elbow to her side. “I think it’s less to do with me and more to do with how you never smile, only smirk.”

“I can’t help it if my default face scares them away,” Heehyun grouses. Sejeong knows it’s a complex she has, about how her first impression usually intimidates others. Her friend really is just a soft jelly kitten inside, though the memory of her charmed blanket just last night disagrees a tad bit.

“We’ll work on that, no worries. Perhaps try a bright, friendly smile for the Fat Lady just up ahead!”

They climb the last step, feet finally on the 7th floor landing after running about the castle for close to an hour. The portrait hangs grandiose on the marbled wall, double their tiny stature. Combined. In contrast to the regal appearance of gold plated frames, ornate carvings and a velvet nameplate with the brilliant cursive lettering of ‘FAT LADY’, the portrait herself appears rather flamboyant and jovial. Nothing like the stately image everything else seems to suggest, considering they’re first greeted by her loud voice echoing throughout the corridor. The high pitches grate their ears, terribly off-tune. Heehyun’s attempt at a ‘bright, friendly smile’ fails immediately.

“If she’s trying to ward off intruders, she’s got the right strategy down alright,” she grits.

“Snarky comments like that are what shuns people,” Sejeong quips. “But it’s also one of your more lovable traits, so we’ll have to keep that.”

Heehyun sneers as they venture on through disturbing soundwaves. Patiently, they endure a couple more notes from the oblivious portrait, each exponentially more screechy than the former. When the mix of a scowl and cringe carved on Heehyun’s face reaches its peak and she looks like she just might claw the Fat Lady apart like Sirius Black two decades or so ago, Sejeong decides maybe attempting to catch her attention might be best, even if interrupting her singing - or bleating, as Heehyun would call it - might cost them some brownie points.

After a few intentional coughs, clears of her throat and a couple more ‘excuse me, madam’s, volume increasing with each repetition, the Fat Lady finally bestows some well-deserved peace upon them.

“Oh, sorry, didn’t notice you two there,” she chirps, voice still crystal despite all the damage that session  _ must _ have done to her throat. Maybe it’s a portrait quirk. “You’re not Gryffindors. What could you be here for?”

Heehyun mumbles something sounding very much like ‘I told you so’ and Sejeong just hopes she can make her eat her words.

“My friend and I were just wandering along talking to the portraits along the staircases - you all do make for very good conversation - and as we ascended the floors, we happened to catch on to the faint echoes of some singing. We followed it because we were curious and it led us to you,” Sejeong offers her impromptu explanation, adding an extra raise of the corners of her mouth to make her smile extra chipper.

“You heard me? My, my, how was it? I’ve been trying to hone my voice such that it can shatter this glass goblet over here, but I just can’t seem to go high enough,” the Fat Lady laments, flailing said goblet around in her right, before taking a huge preparatory breath, signalling the impending start of another round of overwhelming dissonance.

The two victims exchanged swift panicked glances before Heehyun desperately cuts in. “No, no, you were high enough. Definitely loud enough too,” she lets slip. “Perhaps it’s something else?” She glances at Sejeong, urgently signaling for her to reinforce that point.

“Right! So, I was part of my elementary school’s Choir, and I was thinking maybe it might have to do with a lack of  _ resonance _ instead…” 

Heehyun watches as Sejeong leaps into a lecture on how finding the right resonance might be the solution, and how to use her diaphragm to support her voice to create that resonance instead of forcing it out higher without any grounding, and even more musical jargon which convinces Heehyun that Sejeong had either really - and very coincidentally - been in her previous school’s Choir Club, or is just incredibly well read to be able to bullshit that well. She somehow doubts it’s the latter. The Fat Lady listens, completely enraptured, and she can understand why with the way Sejeong advises her: she actually sounds fully invested in the conversation, deeply sincere and interested. Heehyun doesn’t know if Sejeong is just a really good actress, or she just genuinely enjoys conversing and possesses the gift of speech and hard-carrying conversations. Perhaps it’s a good mix of both.

“..and that’s it! It’s not much, just what my teachers have taught me, but I hope it helps,” Heehyun tunes back in to their conversation as she hears Sejeong finish up, beaming that sweet eye-smile of hers once again.

The Fat Lady looks absolutely  _ thrilled _ , eyes lighting up like when Chungha had been informed that she could indeed keep her pet hamster with her for the year. She even does an excited little jiggle - like Chungha, alright.

“Only one way to find out!”

And she starts screeching once more, faster than Heehyun’s face can fall. This was definitely not what she had in mind when she had trusted Sejeong to continue the flow. Metaphorical claws sharpened and readied to mangle her friend, the scathing complaints die on the tip of her tongue when she sees Sejeong with her wand peeking out. She murmurs something, completely masked over by the reverberating shrieks, and suddenly the glass cracks a little in the Fat Lady’s hand. The corner of her mouth twitches upwards a little.

The crack catches the Fat Lady’s attention, too absorbed in trying to heed Sejeong’s advice and watching the (truthfully non-existent) progress on her goblet to notice the trick Sejeong pulled. She stops her singing abruptly -  _ thank Merlin _ \- and marvels at the tiny web of cracks along the glass. 

“It worked! Oh, my dear girl, you are a genius!” She accentuates each last few words, trembling on the spot in exhilaration. She looks absolutely elated, and somehow so does Sejeong, whooping and fist pumping as if she hadn’t rigged the whole thing. Heehyun tries to imitate the same magnitude of emotion, though frankly she can only feel enthusiastic about the end of the audial nightmare. It’s enough to pass her off, she figures.

“You must be hungry after all that, because I certainly am,” Sejeong reaches for the plate of pastries they had brought over, previously left forgotten on the floor when their cringing had threatened to topple the balance of the baked treats. “I do hope what Professor Abbott had mentioned about your portrait being part of the few in which reality can interact with is true, because it’d be a waste not to enjoy the House Elves’ tea special for the day.”

She offers one delectable pastry to the Fat Lady, heading towards the portrait, and to all of their delights, it passes through. Sejeong had expected crossing the meshing of the Real World and Portrait World to feel a little strange, maybe some sort of hint that her hand had just traversed across a dimension, but instead it just felt like she reached out the window to pass the tart over. Her recipient accepts it gleefully, relishing in the taste as she bites a huge chunk of it off. Sejeong glances to catch Heehyun flashing a thumbs up, one she returns promptly. Now for the hard part: trying to get the password or just getting in.

“Would you like more? The House Elves gave us way more than we could finish before dinnertime,” Sejeong offers; it’s half true, the treats had been a backup plan, but they had gotten it in the first place because Sejeong decided to make a small trip to greet her friends in the kitchen. 

“Bribing your way into the Gryffindor Common Room?” The Fat Lady’s words cause them both to freeze up - they hadn’t expected to get caught that easily after all that effort. “The treats alone wouldn’t have worked - even if I do appreciate them - but I must say, they’re a good dessert to the wonderful conversation we’ve had and your humouring of me with the advice and that subtle spell of yours.”

Sejeong grins gingerly, not really sure where this is leading to. “You’re welcome…?”

“I’ll let you in this time, since you’re both such sweet kids. Maybe a little conversation and entertainment of me could be your password in future, too,” she winks, and her portrait swings open with grandeur, revealing a long corridor, smooth white walls with brown marbling and a red carpeted floor, lit by gold ornate lamps perched every few metres on the wall. Nothing short of expectations from the house that screams regal and majestic. 

They thank her profusely - Sejeong shouting that her advice had all been real and more practice would definitely get the Fat Lady to her goal - at the granted access and hint of it being a continuous thing, then enter the welcoming hallway, hearts fluttering in anticipation and adrenaline from having achieved their first tall ordeal fuelling their steps.

-

A commotion up ahead causes there to be a bottleneck at the entrance to the Common Room, and naturally Jieqiong pulls her forward to check it out. Their house meeting had ended up dragging on a lot longer than expected, and she feels remorseful for having left Sejeong, Heehyun and Nayoung just hanging. She makes a mental note to apologise to them later during dinnertime, only to realise the opportunity has so spontaneously and conveniently graced itself in front of her now, in the form of a Sejeong and Heehyun greeting everyone in the common room with a wave, lounging on the red and gold velvet cushions of the sofa. 

She somehow can’t find it within herself to be as surprised as she really should be.

“Sejeong, Heehyun! How did you guys manage to get in?” Jieqiong exclaims as she breaks through the crowd of upperclassmen, dragging Chungha along with her, oblivious to the scathing looks originally cast upon just her two friends and now the four of them. Rather than surprise, Jieqiong just looks downright enthralled, as if wanting to know the secrets of breaking into other houses’ Common Rooms as well. Then Chungha realises it’s probably the case.

“The Fat Lady let us in! We had a nice chat and she decided to grant us access,” Sejeong chippered.

Chungha really can’t find it within herself to be a slight bit surprised by that turn of events.

Having students from another house in their Common Room was not something unfamiliar to Gryffindors, but this usually occurred when  _ accompanied _ by another Gryffindor. The Fat Lady granting them access on her own accord has always been an extremely rare occurrence, so naturally some of them frown at that knowledge.

“Alright, break it up! These kids entered with the rightful permission of the Fat Lady, so there’s nothing to be offended about. Move in, everyone, let the rest of the house enter too!” The Head Girl commands as the prefects start to usher everyone in, allowing the flow of traffic to start up once again.

The commotion soon dies down as everyone gets their fill of curious stares and disapproving glares, which Heehyun just pretends to ignore while Sejeong sheepishly - though without a single trace of remorse - smiles and waves. 

“Why am I somehow not surprised that you both would do something like this,” Chungha sighs as she sits herself down on the couch opposite; she definitely needs a seat.

“Well, we got tired of meeting up being inconvenient and always having to wait around, so we decided to…”

The identical sniggers make her dread the completion of the sentence.

“...Slytherin.”

Chungha slams her head into her hands, and hates herself for actually sputtering out a laugh.

\---

She somehow gets dragged into their antics barely two days later; apparently breaking into other houses’ Common Rooms was going to be an ongoing thing between not just Sejeong and Heehyun, but for their whole group now. (“You’ll have to find your own way into Slytherin though, we aren’t going to help with that!”) Their next target was naturally Ravenclaw, where the not-as-delighted-by-the-news-of-them-gaining-access-to-Gryffindor’s-Common-Room Nayoung resided. Nayoung had warned them not to even try with Ravenclaw, as she desperately needed her precious hours of sleep, each minute more valuable than before due to her rapidly dwindling energy levels when spending time with them. The three had pretended she hadn’t said anything. 

For the past two days, Sejeong, Heehyun and Jieqiong have been attempting to solve the daily riddle set as the password to the Ravenclaw Tower, but from the lack of a gleeful announcement proceeding elated bounding towards her, she guesses it has been fruitless. It's already nearing dinner time, bringing the count of hours they’ve spent working on today’s riddle to about 4 hours. Chungha does admire their perseverance, if anything. But there’s always a limit to everything. 

Which is likely why she finds herself in front of the curved wooden door, bronze eagle knocker the only embellishment visible, with three monkeys looking at her expectantly.

“What makes you think  _ I  _ can solve the riddle?” She asks, doubting herself. She doesn't even bother questioning why she should help them now - Jieqiong wouldn't let her sleep for sure otherwise. 

“Didn't you almost get sorted into Ravenclaw?” Heehyun recalls. 

Her Hatstall is a topic she has frequently had to touch upon, little band of friends included. She hadn’t mentioned much details about it, just the fact that the Sorting Hat had pretty much been undecided between every single house. Apparently her more deterministic traits are a good mix of each house’s defining ones, so it had resulted in the difficult decision the Hat and her had to make. She doesn’t actually know why or how she had ended up in Gryffindor - the Sorting Hat’s words had been too cryptic, like most of the content within those 5 minutes. All she knows is that those were information she should omit when sharing the experience with others. And omit she did; all everyone knows is that Chungha could essentially belong anywhere, but Gryffindor was the eventual path decided for her.

“Not just Ravenclaw, but every other house was possible too,” Sejeong corrects. “But yes, that does make you a whole lot more likely to be able to get in than us. Jieqiong can only memorise stuff well while Heehyun and I can only hope practicals are enough to keep our grades alive.”

Not a single protest comes from the three of them as they nod gravely in agreement; they really must be that desperate for such an uncharacteristic occurrence. It succeeds in convincing Chungha to at least try, even as she sighs taking a step towards the door. Grasping the ring of the knocker, she taps it lightly, prompting the eagle for the riddle.

_ “I go all around the world but stay in a corner. What am I?” _

An eyebrow raises.  _ This _ was the riddle that had her friends stumped for four and a half hours? She hesitates; perhaps she was thinking about this too simply. There’s no way they wouldn’t know this, right? She spares a glance at the owners of three hopeful gazes: one Pureblood, one Half-blood and one with wizarding parents (no further information since she had simply smiled her way through evading more details). Perhaps they didn’t know it after all, judging from the massive flock of owls every lunch.

“A stamp,” she tries.

The door creaks open, granting them entrance. They all gape for a while, rooted, somewhat surprised that Chungha answered what the other three couldn’t for hours within a minute.

“A what?” Jieqiong asks, clueless expression confirming Chungha’s suspicions. 

“A postage stamp. Muggle post, owls don’t seem to need stamps.”

“Okay, I can understand why Jieqiong couldn’t answer the riddle, but Heehyun, your dad’s a Muggle. Surely you’ve seen these stamps before?” Sejeong questions.

“Cut me some slack, my first and only post back home had been from Hogwarts,” Heehyun brushes aside and strides towards the revealed hallway. “Now are we going or what? There’s going to be a very excited Nayoung waiting for us.”

Chungha watches as Sejeong’s smirk grows wider, ready to tease Heehyun about her “lack of sense, no wonder you weren’t even considered for Ravenclaw.” As Jieqiong joyfully skips down the blue and gold carpet, gleeful hum and squabble from the other two echoing in the corridor, Chungha can’t help but feel a little sorry for Nayoung’s impending chaos.

-

Nayoung loves the break before dinner time. Definitely not a morning person, she has always abhorred morning classes, despite the rampant stereotype of her house. Hogwarts lessons are no different. They always drain an extra amount of energy from her, spent on trying to stay awake and still catching what the respective professors ramble on about.

That’s precisely why the break before dinner time is so precious: it’s one of her few windows to rejuvenate herself after a gruelling day. With the introduction of 4 certain girls in her life, this one window has unequivocally diminished. 

Ever since she had slipped that note to Sejeong during Astronomy - an action she’s still undecided as to whether she regrets or not - the Slytherin has somehow managed to catch her at every possible waking moment: waving across the Great Hall, walking in tandem striking conversation along corridors, picking seats beside her in lessons. Before she had known it, she had ended up lumped together with the little litter of exceedingly excitable puppies, her tranquil envisioning of a Hogwarts life shattered. Chungha might fit the previous picture she had had with her quieter nature, and Heehyun is surprisingly reserved when she’s not carrying out one of their latest plans that always only lead to immense trouble, but Sejeong and Jieqiong, especially the latter, may just be the biggest menaces in her life. Somehow, it seems as if they’ve both made disturbing her their goal in life; Sejeong is constantly teasing her (to be fair, she does this to them all equally) whereas Jieqiong has never let her have a quiet moment whereby they’re not conversing yet, even in the library (she hadn’t expected to ever be thrown out of the library in her life before). Chungha says it’s just their way of getting her to open up. Nayoung doesn’t believe that’s the entire picture.

So when Jieqiong, Sejeong and Heehyun had announced that their daily meetups after classes would be on hold in favour of them - intended to be all 5 of them as a group, but Nayoung had immediately declined and Chungha just stayed mum - finding their way into the Common Rooms, she had been eternally grateful for the long-awaited, glorious, daily break before dinner time for her to recuperate. She snuggles into her blanket more, relishing in the recently unfamiliar comfort. Her lips quirk up a little, content filling her. This was definitely the way she wanted to spend her break. No chatter, no chaos, no caretaking.

As she lets herself consciousness wander to Dreamland, she finds her thoughts drifting to the various stories that have been shared with her - those certainly have been interesting, always entertaining her even if they were a little too loud and long; of two green figures wrestling around playfully, sparks and tiny blasts ringing around; of a brown hamster grinning softly, looking into the distance; maybe she doesn’t regret her action in that Astronomy class after all.

With a final fleeting thought that fine, she really does appreciate their little ragtag group and miss them a little, she drifts off to sle--

“There she is! Finally!”

The force of someone body-slamming her rudely jolts her out of Dreamland. The abrupt explosion of noise doesn’t improve her disoriented state, hazily looking around in confusion. She belatedly registers someone firing off in a feverish ramble and focuses a little on that.

Jieqiong, perched on an unoccupied space of her bed, waving her hands around animatedly in recount of their ordeal of getting into her room.

Sejeong, sprawled comfortably on top of her seemingly without any intention of getting off, chipping in to the tale with exaggerated details.

Heehyun, plopped on the floor, inspecting her organised mess of textbooks and library books and notes with comments on how it’s totally not what she had expected of her.

Chungha, standing by her bed, mouthing out an apology but still highly amused despite the slight hint of sympathy.

Nayoung firmly plants her face into her pillow, letting out a muffled in between of a groan and a scream. Scratch that, she definitely regrets what she had done in Astronomy.

\---

A waterfall of vinegar appears above them out of nowhere and soon they’re doused in it. Hysterical shouts and screams ring out from the three small figures, clearly outlined by their sopping robes clinging to their skin, as they hop around in hysteria, barrels of the Hufflepuff Basement entrance completely still as if mocking their failed attempt. They sputter, grunts filled with disgust, as they try to get the lingering invasive taste out; it doesn’t work when they’re showered by the offensive substance.

“Now we know that ‘let’s just wing it’ isn’t exactly the wisest course of action?” Sejeong tries, shrugging with a hesitant grin that somehow still looks mirthful. 

“You think?” Chungha sighs; her eyes are shut tight to prevent any vinegar from seeping in, otherwise yet another eye roll would definitely be shot Sejeong’s way.

“I knew we should have tried to drag Nayoung along; getting an earful from her for a week would have beaten this any day,” Jieqiong laments, shaking her arms around as if it might help to get herself dry.

Heehyun just cackles at their pitiable state as they curse her quick reflexes. 

-

“Okay, so now we know that we can’t just trial and error our way into the Hufflepuff Common Room,” Chungha remarks as she dries her hair with a towel. “Now what?”

Freshly - and appreciatively - showered, they had taken to gathering in the Gryffindor Common Room to chart their next move. With the 5 of them meeting there almost every afternoon, the other Gryffindors had grown accustomed to seeing them around, hardly batting an eye at their presence and occasionally even chatting with them. Nayoung still had to be dragged there, but the diminishing resistance was a good sign, so Sejeong reasoned. 

One thing that hasn’t seemed to diminish yet would be her disapproval of their antics, though.

“How about not try any further? Hufflepuffs don’t take kindly to people entering their Common Room unwelcome. It’s home to them; that’s why they’re the only house with a repelling system in place,” Nayoung explains. “Why are  _ you _ the one asking, anyway? Since when have you defected over to their side?”

Sejeong and Jieqiong pout and pretend to be physically hurt by Nayoung’s implication of their being different camps within their tiny group; Nayoung just ignores them. 

“Because if I don’t ask, these three will just go forth with yet another reckless plan. I swear these two should have belonged to Gryffindor, maybe that’s why the Fat Lady let them in,” Chungha sighs; this seems to be happening a lot more than just three months ago. “That’s also why there needs to be someone around to ensure they don’t end up in the Hospital Wing again.”

“That’s rich coming from you - you’ve been there the most out of all of us,” Heehyun taunts lightly. “Just admit it, this is as fun for you as it is for us.”

Chungha sighs once more, though mainly for lack of a better response to that. It  _ is _ somewhat rewarding to gain these accesses. 

“Well, all we know is that the password has something to do with tapping the barrels. There’s no clear question to answer this time, nor a simple secret password, or even someone we can talk to to find out,” Sejeong lists, each fact chipping away at their hope.

“You  _ could _ just do it the old-school way,” a somewhat familiar voice sounds out - natural tone chirpy and spooled with teasing, as if always speaking in a playful hum. A Third Year Slytherin steps out from the stairwell - Mimi, Sejeong vaguely recalls, with her signature mischief-laced grin.

Jieqiong questions why Mimi is in the  _ Gryffindor _ Common Room the same time Sejeong asks what the ‘old-school way’ she’s referring to is.

“I came to see Hana. You guys aren’t the only ones with a way into the Gryffindor Common Room, though our methods might differ,” she chuckles, somewhat unsettling. Then again, it’s Mimi. “And that method, would simply be to…  _ approach _ another Hufflepuff.”

The following wink spelled out the unsaid ‘if you know what I mean’. Thoroughly nonplussed, Sejeong noted the various reactions from the other 4: mild confusion (some things  _ do _ fly past Chungha’s head, after all), slight disapproval (Jieqiong has always been tactful with others), utterly scandalised (Nayoung actually looks downright offended, as if she had been the suggested victim, though to Mimi she probably just looks the same with a slight twitch of her eye), and twinkling curiosity (a plan seems to be germinating in Heehyun’s mind, following the seed planted by their upperclassman).

She had known about this particular method passed down by Slytherins of the past: intimidating and threatening Hufflepuffs into submission. It just never did sit right with her, nor many others in her house now, which would explain why it had become a somewhat obscure and unsaid topic. She hadn’t expected  _ Mimi _ to suggest that, though. The older might have a reputation for her multitude of methods to achieve her wants, but never had Sejeong actually heard of her doing something severe like  _ bullying _ . 

“Are you telling us to bully--”

A book lightly - or not, judging from Mimi’s wince - taps itself on Mimi’s head, causing Sejeong’s questioning to cut off. Owner of said book steps out from behind an indignant Mimi - now nursing her head which she swears will have a bump soon - to reveal a particularly striking Gryffindor upperclassman, all poise and elegance. 

“Were you really trying to corrupt these kids in a Common Room that isn’t even yours?”

“I wasn’t  _ corrupting _ them, Hana, I simply shared that the best way to getting into the Hufflepuff Basement - their plan without any instigation from me - was to find out from a Hufflepuff. How they go about it is their own choice,” Mimi retorts, glib tongue saving her. “Haebin told me on her own volition.”

Hana rolls her eyes as the two of them leave the Common Room, not before advising them to dismiss whatever Mimi had said and Mimi skipping with a wiggle of her eyebrows. The brief but impactful encounter left a weighted silence between the remaining occupants of the Common Room, crackle of the fireplace the only impediment to the quietude. 

Then Heehyun breaks it.

“I  _ might _ have a decent plan.”

-

“This is  _ nowhere _ near a decent plan,” Sejeong declares. “Which part of it is even mildly decent?”

“The part where we have a decent chance of succeeding and decently-detailed steps?” Sejeong shoots a pointed arch of an eyebrow to Heehyun; Heehyun gets the message. “Okay, it’s not exactly one of the classiest plans we’ve-”

“You’ve.”

“-thought of,” Heehyun continues, unperturbed by Sejeong’s attempt to distance herself from the idea already. “But it’s just going to be harmless acting. We won’t take it too far, and we’ll get what we want. Minimal damages, maximal rewards.”

“Is the poor victim going to know it’s just ‘harmless acting’? Merlin’s beard, Heehyun, you’re planning for the both of us - why just us two, anyway? - to find a fellow First Year Hufflepuff who ‘looks like they would cough up easily’, corner them and ask for the method to entering their Common Room?” Sejeong’s words increase in pace and pitch. “It’s essentially  _ bullying _ , just without the physical part.”

“And that’s why it’s not so bad! We can just offer some stuff in return as well, then it’ll be a trade. Also, we’re Slytherins, this is what we’re expected to do.”

“Gallopin Gorgons, that still doesn’t make it  _ decent _ ,” Sejeong throws her hands up in frustration, ruffling the quilt draped on her lap.

“Why are you so concerned with that, anyway? Being decent isn’t something Slytherins are known for. We get things done, end result before the method. I thought you’d always agree to doing stuff.”

“That’s only if no one gets hurt in the process, and your plan doesn’t meet that criteria this time. Just because we’re Slytherins doesn’t mean we’re mean, expected or allowed to be mean.”

“Really? Because I could have sworn that’s not what some other First Years said to me,” Heehyun snarks cynically, face darkening. “But whatever, if you’re not going to join me on this, don’t come looking for me to spill the secret to getting into the Hufflepuff Basement. Not that you’ll be able to anyway, since I’ll be happily lounging there and enjoying my success.”

Sejeong just stays seated on her bed, watching as Heehyun storms out their dorm room. The retreating back invokes a wave of déjà vu and she tries to suppress the voice jeering that she’s “lost yet another person who walked into her life”. 

No, Heehyun hasn’t left her. 

And even if she did, it shouldn’t bother Sejeong much.

They have only been friends for three months; no attachments, no heartache, right?

She wasn’t supposed to get close to anyone anyway - the 4 others were just people who had happened to come into her life without her seeking them out.

It’s possible to have people around her and not get attached to them.

It wouldn’t hurt if they were to leave her 7 years later.

She’s alright.

Chanting that mantra in her head, Sejeong curbs the spreading pressure that spilled out, scooping the remnants of invasive thoughts back into her ever upgrading container. Schooling her mentality and expressions back to the usual, she belatedly chases after Heehyun.

-

The good news is she manages to find Heehyun quickly.

The bad news is Heehyun is already carrying out her plan.

The okay news is at least Heehyun and victim are in a secluded area not too visible by passing strangers.

The horrible news is a  _ Hufflepuff Prefect _ is going to walk by soon and will definitely see them.

Sejeong runs over and hopes she can get them to evacuate before they get into official trouble; being blacklisted by the Prefects from First Year isn’t exactly the greatest start to their schooling career. 

“...so really, you should cough up any time now because this will really benefit the both of us--”

“Heehyun!”

“--and oh hey, reinforcements have come! So yup, any time now,” Heehyun hardly acknowledges her and keeps her attention focused on a small, porcelain skinned girl with straight hair so shiny and flowy it looks like ink, flushed cheeks - though that might be due to the suffocating proximity and conversation Heehyun has ungracefully bestowed upon her, pursed lips and a deep frown. 

Definitely not a sight for the incoming Hufflepuff Prefect to see.

“Heehyun, we’ve got to go, a Hufflepuff Prefect is walking this way,” Sejeong urged, tugging on her robe.

“Yeah, with Dumbledore in tow right? I’ve almost got this, Sejeong, stay out of my way,” comes Heehyun’s reply, hissed out under her breath so the cowering - wait, is that a wand Sejeong spies pointed at Heehyun?

“Locomotor wibbly!” And Heehyun falls to the ground the same time the girl shouts out a “Stupefy”, shimmering blue bolt flying past where Heehyun had been.

That definitely catches the attention of the passing Hufflepuff Prefect.

“What’s going on here?” The Fifth Year towers over the three of them, demanding an explanation.

“Oh, nothing, my friend and I were just duelling here and one of our spells flew out a little. Sorry about that!” Sejeong apologises, pouring as much fake sincerity into her words as she could muster.

“Duelling in the hallways isn’t allowed, don’t you know that?” He lectures, and she does know, but offhandedly thinks it’s much better than having a bullying case on their record. Not that he has to know. “What’re you doing here then? I know you wouldn’t break the rules, not you.”

He regards the fellow Hufflepuff, whose expression shows her thoughts are anywhere but present. She trains her attention in on him when called though, and takes a few moments to contemplate - in which Sejeong discreetly casts a Silencio on Heehyun and nervously jitters - before replying.

“I was just passing by and got caught up at a bad time when her spell went awry.”

Sejeong stops herself from letting out a huge breath of relief.

The prefect takes in her explanation, nodding in understanding. She would have laughed at how easily he had been convinced, had she not known just how innocent the Hufflepuff girl looked, as if the thought of her ever lying was simply absurd.

“Alright well, you’re only First Years so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Just make sure none of us Prefects ever catch you doing this again.”

Sejeong finally lets out her breath of relief as he strides away, continuing his rounds.

“Finite.”

Heehyun’s grumbles sound out as she dusts herself, regaining footing while still muttering. Sejeong doesn’t give her time to recover fully.

“Thanks, and sorry about that. It won’t happen again, I’ll just excuse us now. Thanks once again!” She calls out to their victim-now-saviour behind her shoulder as she drags a protesting Heehyun away in a headlock.

-

“You made my plan fail brilliantly,” Heehyun accused once they had reached the safe confines of their shared dormitory room.

“It was bound to fail - she was going to  _ Stupefy _ you, not give you the access to the Hufflepuff Basement. Plus that prefect would have caught you for sure, he was heading straight into your path,” Sejeong explains. “I don’t get it, we could have spent a little more time thinking of another way to get into the Hufflepuff Common Room instead of going forth with this plan that not only is extremely uncharacteristic of us all, you especially included, but also has really low chances of success. Why were you so insistent on it?”

Heehyun clams up, sitting on her bed with her arms crossed defensively, gaze scorching holes into the corner of her bedspread. Sejeong sighs after a few moments, taking a calculated guess.

“Did someone say something mean about your first impression and you being a Slytherin?” Sejeong’s voice softened as she gingerly took a seat on the other corner of Heehyun’s bed. She took the silence as consent for her to scoot closer. “Was it those Hufflepuffs again?”

As much as Heehyun’s default face is one of a fierce predator lying in wait to maul, she does wear her emotions on her sleeves; Sejeong notices the way her chin scrunches up a little, lips slightly quivering as her fiery glare douses from unshed tears. Bullseye.

Crossing the distance between them, she pulls Heehyun in for a reluctant - on Heehyun’s part simply because she’s such a stubborn and prideful girl - hug. “People will always judge us on this, but it doesn’t have to be true. We can prove that Slytherins aren’t bad people, and having a mean looking face doesn’t mean that’s all there is to you.”

The weak grunt of approval makes her heart ache even more, but she consciously chalks it up to human empathy rather than a greater magnitude of care for her friend that she’s not willing to admit to yet.

“Though that doesn’t mean that if it happens again next time, you should just suck it up. We’ll show them who’s boss so they won’t mess with us again, as long as we don’t do anything against our conscience okay?” Sejeong pulls out of the hug to seek Heehyun’s eyes this time, shifting to look up to meet the downcast ones.

Heehyun snorts and it grows into a chuckle, and with the grin spreading across Sejeong’s face at her response, she can’t help but let it evolve to a laughter. 

\---

Sejeong had chided her ear off the entire night, convincing her to seek out that “poor Hufflepuff girl” and apologise to her. She knows she should, even if she did almost get sent flying across the courtyard by said “helpless” girl’s spell, but Heehyun is nothing if not prideful.

So when she sees the very same girl in their Herbology class beside her workstation the next day, she curses Sejeong for immediately partnering up with Chungha, Jieqiong going off to seek Nayoung already. Of course she would end up being partners with the Hufflepuff who’s just flipping through her Herbology textbook, avoiding any form of conversation with Heehyun.

Damn her crafty little friend.

“So, uh, I never did get your name yesterday. I’m Heehyun,” she tries, a voice suspiciously similar to Sejeong’s lecturing about icebreakers and introductions.

There’s a long pause, as if her tablemate was considering whether to even answer or not (she probably was), before the girl finally replies. “I’m not telling you the way to get in.”

She should have figured her actions would have had a lasting effect. Her pride doesn’t let that sit well within her, though.

“And I don’t need it from you either. You’re not all that special, there’s a dozen and one other Hufflepuffs I can ask,” she scoffs. She doesn’t actually plan on repeating the incident, but the other girl doesn’t have to know that.

Professor Longbottom shouting over the chatter prevents a continuation of their short conversation, and Heehyun takes subtly basks in the slight satisfaction she gets from having the last say. He starts the whole preamble about the plant for today’s lesson, which apparently can be lethal and thrives in dark, damp conditions. Exactly where they’re in, the greenhouse all covered up and the air practically dripping with moisture. She really doesn’t think Hogwarts has understood the whole safety thing well.

Considering the plant really is that deadly, she probably should be paying a little more attention to class, but she’s never been one with nature anyway. Besides, pair work does mean there’s a chance that her partner will do all the work for her, even if they aren’t on great terms. Hogwarts has got the right mindset on shared grades and teamwork alright.

She hears the class break into a commotion and guesses that’s her cue to get down to work. Or, ask what she’s supposed to do.

“Did you not listen to anything Professor Longbottom said?” Her partner stares at her incredulously, to which she just shrugs nonchalantly.

“He talks too much. We just have to contain this somehow, right?”

The other girl looks away and sighs; Heehyun can almost hear her internal lamenting of her fate for the day. 

“No wonder the upperclassmen had warned us not to partner up with Slytherins for Herbology,” Heehyun hears the mutters, and it strikes a chord. She really doesn’t like Hufflepuffs - they’re the meanest and sully Slytherin’s reputation the most, but everyone still thinks they’re the ‘nice’ house and Slytherin is the ‘evil’ one. What a load of bullcrap.

“No wonder the upperclassmen had told us to partner up with Hufflepuffs for Herbology then, so they can do our work for us,” Heehyun spits back. “I don’t need  _ you _ , though, I can do this by myself.”

It’s a pack of lies, but ego does shadow over logical thinking. She’s met with a deadpan, and a gesture to go ahead as her offensive partner take a step back. Heehyun accepts the challenge.

“How dangerous can this thing be, anyway?”

She jabs a still root with her finger and finds out that ‘this thing’ can be pretty darn dangerous.

The Devil’s Snare wraps itself around her arm almost immediately, as if it had been lying in wait for the very gesture she had pulled. At the act of a creepy, moist plant vice gripping her spindly arm, Heehyun reacts how any sane person would: panic. Unfortunately witches and wizards were expected to  _ not _ be sane, because her fervent struggles only served to make the Devil’s Snare wrap around her more, tightening its coil around her arm and climbing further to her body. Even without the panic, her mind still would have been a blank as to a solution to this. She’s not exactly ready to Bombarda her arm off.

She’s definitely racking up a commotion, but apparently so is everyone else and Professor Longbottom isn’t the most attentive of professors, so her only possibilities for help would be to miraculously get out of this suffocating situation herself, or have her partner save her.

Who, speaking of which, is just calmly looking on, zero intention of helping.

Looks like she might break Chungha’s record of hospital visits.

“Are you not going to do something? I’m going to die here!” Heehyun innately regards herself impressed for being still being able to sound indignant even in such a situation. It doesn’t really help much practically though.

“I thought you could handle this on your own, oh so prideful Heehyun,” her partner remarks; the almost non-existent mock in her tone somehow grates at her nerves even more.

But when at the crossroads between death to mortality and death to dignity, even she’d have to go for the latter.

“I can’t, and this hurts like hell, so Christ, just do something!” She grits out, words already leaving a bitter aftertaste as her ego crumples from the blow.

Her god-damn jerk of a partner whose personality seems to be the complete contrast of her pure looks takes her wand out, and Heehyun really thinks Hufflepuffs are more evil than she had ever expected.

“Are you crazy? This thing is  _ attached _ to my arm; you’re not really going to blast it off--”

“Lumos solem.”

Glaring rays cut her off as she shies her eyes, forced to turn to the side at the blinding sun shone right onto her. A pained gasp and a string of insults follow, her arms waving in the general direction of her so-called saviour to stop with the petty tricks. Apparently that was seen by the other girl, since Heehyun observes the intensity of light dimming from behind her jammed shut eyelids, gradually ceasing. She finally opens her eyes to a comfortable dim and doesn’t hesitate to lash out.

“What good was blinding me supposed to do? So I can’t see the damage this thing is doing on my arm?”

And then she belatedly realises that that  _ thing _ is no longer there, now instead packed neatly into a glass container held by her partner.

Oh.

“Devil’s Snares hate light and warmth, so sunlight is most effective on them. I guess your upperclassmen were right after all, we  _ do _ do all the work for you lot,” Heehyun watches how the girl’s expression turns slightly resentful, then daintily - everything this girl does seems to just  _ be _ that gentle and elegant, even when upset - stalks off to Professor Longbottom at the front to claim their Outstanding grade, Heehyun’s not so deserved.

\---

Chaeyeon hasn’t been having a good time at Hogwarts.

All her life, she has been  _ that kid _ everyone picks on: weak, shy, unable to fight back. Not because she’s not able to - which is partly true since she’s too afraid of doing so - but because she knows she’s  _ different _ and one wrong move might draw even more attention to her.

Hogwarts was supposed to be her leaving her past life behind: away from the bullies, away from the parents who had never wanted her, away from her being outcast.

It turns out that just being magic doesn’t immediately create a sense of family among them, and even the House that’s supposed to feel like home can house some pretty bad eggs as well. Her reserved nature and absence of necessary items due to her lack of wizarding currency results in her getting zeroed in on almost immediately; bullies within a place she was supposed to feel safe in is tainted a different shade of ugly, and it teaches her that ‘family’ does prey on their own kind. She’s thankful for the majority that helps her and disapproves of that certain group’s actions - fuelled by a desire to prove that they’re not weak simply because they’re in Hufflepuff - but the non-confrontational nature of their Housemates doesn’t do much to stop the bullying. 

Within a week, the sign ‘Easy Target’ has been floating over her head, somehow attracting jabs along the corridor, jibes in classrooms and jeers within the Grand Staircase. It isn’t exclusively to her, nor is it personal; like how there are those at the top of the food chain, there’s also the tier for those at rock bottom, and she happens to fall into place without her knowledge of the reasoning. The circle of life must go on.

She was wrong to expect that a change of environment had meant a change in nature.

So when a lanky Slytherin drowning in her own robes had skulked towards her with purpose, Chaeyeon had almost resignedly closed her eyes to embrace the incoming rough up.

She hadn’t expected the girl to just start rambling on about striking some sort of deal and the constant emphasis that her cornering Chaeyeon, back flushed against the wall, was “not bullying but just a friendly negotiation with a bit of reasonable pressure”. It had almost been laughable, how her supposed assailant had seemed more uncomfortable than her. A curious sort of confidence had germinated within her, sprouting in the form of a retaliating Stupefy. Despite the spell not landing, she had felt a rush of accomplishment at even being able to fight back. It had lifted her up, floaty feel and all - perhaps this was why people liked asserting themselves. Maybe she wasn’t that weak after all.

But just hours later, she had frozen up at the all too familiar sight of rummaged belongings and missing textbooks, the usual note saying borrowed books were free for all, after all. And just like that, she had reverted back to the her from before that incident.

Then Herbology comes and in some sort of twisted way, the same girl - Heehyun, she learns - gives her that confidence boost once more. She’s still suspicious of the Slytherin and her motives - it doesn’t help that she’s particularly  _ popular _ among bullies from the House of snakes, bar her own - but somehow not too afraid. And as the lesson progresses, she learns that Heehyun is really all bark and no bite. 

It’s refreshing, to know that there’s someone to which she can stand up to on her own feet and will. 

Even if she can’t do that to anyone else and it doesn’t change her overall situation a slight bit, at least she’s taken a step up and knows that it’s not just a clear cut pyramid hierarchy set in stone.

-

She finds it ironic how she dreads returning to the dormitory dubbed as the most homely every night. 

As much as she tries to stay out late, the dark sky and torch-lit corridors are anything but comforting and she dislikes having to traverse them alone almost as much as having to face the routine incidents back in the dorm. So she finds herself back at the entrance around 9pm once again, tapping the specific barrels to the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff. As the entrance reveals itself, she steels her nerves, because sometimes the group starts from the get go, lying in wait in the Common Room.

She does have people lying in wait for her in the Common Room, but it’s definitely not who she had expected, nor ever would have expected.

Seeing a non-Hufflepuff in the Hufflepuff Basement is enough of a sight to behold. 

Seeing 2 Gryffindors, 1 Ravenclaw and 2 Slytherins with the absence of any Hufflepuff is way beyond a sight to behold.

Seeing the renowned Top Flier of First Years, her confidence booster cum one-off attempted bully  _ and _ her pick-up-service friend being in that group is a sight Chaeyeon cannot behold.

She rubs her eyes; her mind must have finally snapped after everything and now she’s just seeing ridiculous happenings that are the utmost random and impossible ones.

“Oh hey, she came! Now we can kill two birds with one stone,” the chipper Slytherin says, disproving her theory that they were just projections by her delirious mind.

“What… How…?” She whispers out, still disoriented.

“Are you going to just stand by the entrance? Come take a seat! Heehyun doesn’t bite.”

Chaeyeon doesn’t know why she listens to the girl - who somehow doesn’t seem to see the irony in her, a Slytherin, welcoming Chaeyeon, a Hufflepuff, to make herself at home in her own Common Room, unfortunate circumstance aside - but she does. She seats herself beside a grouchy Heehyun, who has her arms wrapped around her torso and is repeatedly scrunching her nose with frowns.

“Sorry for intruding,” the star flier of their grade Chungha starts, sheepish smile helping to put her nerves at ease a little. “But these 3 were determined to find a way in regardless of anything, and so Nayoung and I had to tag along to ensure an incident like Heehyun’s doesn’t happen again.”

“No, it’s alright,” she replies automatically - she really does hope it will be alright. “But how…”

The other Gryffindor who introduces herself as Jieqiong then lapses into an animated recount of how they had simply been visiting the kitchen for some late night snacks, courtesy of the smiley Slytherin’s - Sejeong, she learns - amicable standing with the Kitchen Elves, and had ended up spotting some Hufflepuffs returning to the Basement. One thing had led to another, and eventually they had decided to spy on the frequent waves of Hufflepuffs tapping the password to their Common Room till they had managed to memorise it with confidence.

Thus their uninvited - and yet to determine if unwelcome - presence.

It almost makes her forget the impending dread always looming once she has entered the Common Room every night. Almost, because the pack of wolves make their timely appearance and remind her of it.

“Oh hey, the little flower seems to have brought back some pests,” the upperclassman in the center jeers from where they stand obstacle to the staircase; they change positions all the time, as if on some sordid rotation on who gets to relish in leading their nightly fun. “She probably needs the help though, we did just clear out the mess in her living quarters.”

Hollers and slaps on the back ensue, each causing her stomach to lurch and sink further as the bile rises. Three months and counting, and she still can’t get used to this. They top off their gloating with a fling of her quilt, crinkling books and rusty paraphernalia spilling out as the sloppily wrapped package tumbles down the staircase. 

The familiar searing behind her eyes invokes the customary trickle of liquid, but she forces them to remain unshed. The least she could do was shorten the moments where they deride her tear-streaked face, path already paved out from the frequent travelling. Her head hangs low, determined not to give them the satisfaction of seeing her tormented countenance. 

“Hey! That’s not very nice. Who are you all to mess up her things like that?” Jieqiong shouts out, and Chaeyeon doesn’t have to see her to know that she’s furious. 

Her items start flying towards and past her to Chungha, who deftly packs everything back neatly and places it to the side. The frown on her face is evident, apparently just as indignant as her Gryffindor counterpart even if their methods of expressing themselves differ.

She wonders why they even are, then chalks it up to being a Gryffindor quirk. Must be nice to be in that House where people would stand up for you. 

“Her Housemates. We’re just showing her how the hierarchy in Hufflepuff works, so stay out of this,  _ outsider _ ,” the right hand lady for the day sneers as she shouts out a Flipendo, blue light knocking Jieqiong into the air. 

They’ve never used spells directly on her before, so the action surprises and horrifies Chaeyeon. But then again no one has ever stood up to them, and certainly not a girl half their size who looks just a twinge more threatening than Chaeyeon herself, so she supposes it must have struck quite a nerve. 

Sejeong acts instantaneously, somehow managing to cast a Wingardium Leviosa on the stricken girl’s robes to prevent the impact with their Common Room’s stone walls and consequently, her broken bones.

“Okay, that’s crossing the line,” Nayoung says her first words for the night since Chaeyeon met her, and it scares her how her stoic expression was only broken now, marred with venom. Her declaration appears to be all the approval the ragtag group needs.

“Langlock omnis!”

“Incanto mordere oppugno!”

“Petrificus artis omnis!”

She watches as her intimidating group of oppressors gets reduced to a bubbling mess, incoherent shriek-warbles sounding out from their literally tongue-tied states, various objects flying towards them, enchanted to bite any and every part they can come into contact with and feet stuck to the ground unable to move, subject to the torture without the ability to fight back at all. The teamplay from Nayoung, Heehyun and Chungha works wonders and Chaeyeon is certain they must have planned this beforehand, because it’s almost impossible how they managed to complement each other's’ spells within that split second.

“The next time any of you even think about harming any of us here, this Hufflepuff girl included, consider that it might come back to bite you in the ass!” Heehyun taunts, though her warning is without a shred of jest. “Also for the record, you lot are the ones who don’t belong in this warm, homely place,  _ outsiders _ .”

The spells’ effects cease simultaneously and the liberated rats scamper away without hesitation, threats of revenge spilling out from jaws with broken fangs.

Chaeyeon revels in the crushing defeat of her bullies for about three seconds before the realisation that they would just take their frustrations out more on her crashes down. Apparently her change in demeanor is obvious.

“Don’t worry, they won’t be disturbing you tonight for sure. And the next time they do, we’ll be around to teach them again, with me  _ not _ getting attacked. You’re part of us now…” Jieqiong who now has her feet safely planted on the floor trails off, prompting her name.

“Chaeyeon. Thank you.”

“Chaeyeon,” the girl completes her previous sentence. “Great! Sorry I didn’t even do much, you should be thanking the others.”

The wounded puppy expression she carries tugs at Chaeyeon’s heartstrings and she starts to make an effort to comfort her. It’s the least she could do after the whole group had just saved her from what really is her largest problem in Hogwarts so far.

But of course Heehyun has to cut in again and steal her attention.

“The little flower should be learning to fight back on her own, not rely on us,” Heehyun says. “I guess we’re even now though, right?”

The pet name grates on her nerves and it somehow drives Chaeyeon to act; her adrenaline levels must still be high from the whole debacle.

“Locomotor wibbly,” she recalls the spell used against Heehyun during their first encounter. Heehyun crumples to the ground with a surprised yelp, and she smirks. “Now we’re even.”

She realises a beat too late that she had effectively just ‘harmed one of them’, and panics. But as Heehyun casts the counter spell on herself and lets out miffed retorts about injustice, Chaeyeon takes in the way the others react. Sejeong pats her back, applauding her actions while gloating; Chungha giggles as she helps Heehyun up; Jieqiong regains her boisterous laughter directed at Heehyun, mocking but without any drop of venom; Nayoung looks upon them with a hint of a fond smile; Heehyun rolls her eyes, snarky comments which contain no viciousness spewing out. 

Her worry blooms into a hesitant smile, chuckling a little  _ with  _ them, a nice change of how laughter is usually something directed  _ at _ her.

There’s an unfamiliar warmth of thick honey pouring through her chest, slowly lapping at the rest of her body, and Chaeyeon allows herself to hope that she might have found a family in this hellhole after all.

And family does bite, just not one of their own.


End file.
